Road trip
by Lorelie-Grace
Summary: Tony and Ziva escort a five year old girl on a week long road trip, what will happen? Tiva! Rated T for suggestiveness.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! Sorry I kinda disappeared over the summer, but I ended up being really ill for most of it so I didn't end up getting anything written :'( I would like to thank everyone who had reviewed my last story, I really really appreciate it, sorry I don't get time to answer all reviews! As Cote's leaving NCIS I decided to work on this story first as it's fluffy and very Tiva! Hopefully everyone enjoys this :D**

**Disclaimer: If I owned NCIS Cote wouldn't be leaving :( **

Special Agent Ziva David sighed as she rested her head against the cool glass window. It had been a long day and thanks to her latest assignment it was just going to be longer. Currently she was travelling in a black Government Issue car with her partner Tony DiNozzo and a very sweet five year old girl named Ava.

Tony noticed her worn-out appearance "You okay Zi?"

She smiled wearily "I am fine thank you. How long is it to the hotel now?"

Tony checked his watch "We should get to Ohio in about forty minutes"

Ziva sighed, feeling relieved that their car journey would be over soon.

"Zi Zi?" Came a small voice from behind Ziva's chair.

"Yes Ava?" Ziva replied.

"I need to go pee pee again" She whispered to her almost suspiciously, to be sure that Tony would not be able to hear her.

"That is fine" She smiled at her, then turned to Tony "Pull over at the next rest stop please"

Ava Marquez was an adorable five year old with brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin and a bright smile. She had been found at a crime scene hidden in her toy box, clutching her favourite fairy princess doll. She had immediately taken a liking to Ziva, who had a striking resemblance to her mother and had stayed at her apartment till the case had been closed. Her father had been killed in action four years earlier and her mother stabbed to death by her boyfriend. The only family she had left was an aunt who was currently travelling the world and her grandmother who lived in Oregon. Yet the woman was too old and too frail to travel all the way to Washington DC and back, so Ziva and Tony had been assigned to escort Ava to her new home. It was going to take them a week to get there though; they were staying at hotels every night and not travelling too far every day as Ava's grandmother had told them that she was frequently sick when travelling long distances.

"No problem ladies!" Tony exclaimed and pulled over twenty minutes later when he saw the closest exit.

Ziva unbuckled Ava from her car seat and briskly walked in the direction of the sign which read 'Bath room'. She joined the line for the toilets while Ava clung to her hand.

"I really need to go!" She mumbled to Ziva.

"Do not worry Ava. It will not be long now" Almost as soon as she had spoken the words, a stall opened. Ava hurried down as fast as she could and slammed the door before Ziva could join her.

Ziva rolled her eyes and a middle aged woman chuckled behind her.

"Girls are always so independent aren't they? Mine were just like that, but you can't help but love them." The woman behind her said smiling.

"I guess so" Ziva replied returning her smile.

"How old is she?" The woman asked.

"Five" Ziva answered.

The woman chucked again "Then you have a long way to go. Good luck!" and then turned on her heel and left.

"But-" Ziva went to argue that Ava was not hers, but the woman had already disappeared. "Strange" she muttered to herself.

Once she was finished Ziva helped boost up the little girl to wash her hands. Once she was finished they found Tony stood outside of the ladies bathroom, his hands contained beverages and he was receiving funny looks.

He smiled when he saw them "Hey! I got us all drinks"

Tony handed Ziva a coffee cup "Thank you Tony, but I can't drink coffee just before-" She began but Tony interrupted.

"It's hot chocolate. With little marshmallows, just how you like it" He laughed "After all these years did you think that I don't remember?"

Ziva looked pleased "Thank you for remembering"

"Not a problem" He returned "And apple juice for the little princess"

He handed Ava the small carton. She huffed "Thanks, I guess"

"What is wrong?" Ziva asked.

"I wanted hot chocolate, the same as you Ziva!" She said moodily.

"We might get you one tomorrow if you are good and you drink your juice now" Ziva replied calmly.

"Fiiine" Ava sighed.

They walked back to the car and Ziva buckled Ava back into her car seat and they set off again.

Tony turned his head to check the small child in the back was occupied and not paying attention before whispering "Nice job with the tantrum thing"

"What do you mean?" Ziva murmured back.

"She looked really upset that she didn't have the same as you, but you calmed her down almost instantly. You'd make a great mom" Tony said sincerely.

Ziva blushed "Thank you Tony"

He brushed his hand over hers briefly "Anytime"

They drove in silence for ten more minutes before stopping in front of a large hotel. He followed the signs for parking and found an empty space.

"This is it gang" Tony said, putting on a funny accent.

They walked into the hotel's entrance after collecting their belongings from the boot of the car. As they approached the reception with a clatter a lady with greying hair looked up from her cross word puzzle to see who had arrived at such a late time. She was met with a young looking lady who looked extremely tired and a handsome man who was holding a large duffel bag and pulling a giant suitcase. She also heard a small giggle which sounded like a young child. The man walked over to where she was sat and smiled charmingly at her. She saw the pretty brunette behind him roll her eyes disapprovingly, but stayed quiet.

"Hi, reservations for DiNozzo" Tony said enchantingly.

The aging lady smiled at him "A double and a single bed?"

"Yeah, that's the one!" He exclaimed.

She handed him the key card "Floor five, room five-oh-two"

He pocketed the key card and grinned again "Thanks"

"No problem. Enjoy your stay!" The receptionist exclaimed as she saw the couple walk away with a tiny girl who had a Dora the explorer back pack and dragging a pink princess suitcase. They looked like a happy family.

Meanwhile Tony, Ziva and Ava were stood in the elevator; the day was beginning to take its toll on Ava- they had been travelling for seven hours, plus frequent bathroom breaks.

"Zi Zi I'm tired!" Ava whined, grabbing hold of Ziva's leg.

"You can go to bed soon sweetie. Do you want me to pick you up?" Ziva spoke gently.

"No thanks! I'm a big girl so I can walk!" She exclaimed. Once the elevator had stopped on their floor, she bounced out and skipped down the hall discovering a new burst of energy.

"We're in room five zero two, can you help me find it Ava?" Tony asked.

"Okay!" She exclaimed excitedly, looking for the desired number.

She found it soon enough as it was located right by the elevator. She grinned in glee as she found it, yet Tony seemed to not be able to.

Tony decided that he would pretend that he couldn't find the room so Ava would beat him to it and 'win'. "Can you find the room?" He asked her.

"I can! It's right here!" She exclaimed tapping on the door which was theirs for the night.

"Wow! Good job" Tony praised.

He then slid the card from his pocket into the door and opened it with ease. It was a simple room: one single, one double bed, a small television which rested on a dresser and an en-suite. Ava ran in, dropping her backpack and suitcase on the floor before climbing on the double bed with glee.

"Yaay! I get a big girl bed like the one I stayed in at Zi Zi's!"

"Ava sweetie, that is mine and Tony's bed. Your bed is the smaller one next to it" Ziva explained softly.

"Why can't Tony stay in my bed and I share with you!" Ava asked.

"I can't stay in there, I'm too big!" Tony exclaimed.

"Tony is right. That bed is not big enough to fit Tony, but it is right next to our bed so it is like you are sharing with me, yes?" Ziva compromised.

Ava looked thoughtful for a moment, then squealed "Okay!" and jumped down from the double bed.

"Now, can you put your pyjamas on all by yourself?" Ziva asked and Ava eagerly nodded "Then go show Tony and I how fast you can do it!"

Ava unzipped the tiny suitcase and grabbed a purple nightdress from the top of the pile of clothes and sped into the bathroom.

As the bathroom door slammed, Ziva unzipped her duffle bag and pulled out a purple vest top with flowery pyjama bottoms and pulled her shirt over her head. Tony immediately tensed, trying to look away but not being able to pull his eyes away from his partner.

"Woah Ziva! We have a child in the next room!" Tony joked.

Ziva chuckled throatily "Relax Tony" she purred and started rubbing his shoulders "As you said, there is a young girl sharing our room so you will not be getting any action tonight"

"But you are saying if there wasn't a child with us I could be getting lucky?" He grinned.

She slapped his cheek playfully "no chance!" she laughed and slipped her vest top over her head.

Tony grabbed his chest pretending to be hurt "You wound me David!"

"It is rather cold in here so I might use you as a source of body heat" she responded as she changed pants.

"So you're just gonna use me for my body, are ya?" Tony smirked nudging her with his elbow.

"Yes, you are like a furry bear so what else are you good for?" Ziva retorted, her eyes glistening.

"You're gonna pay for that David" Tony vowed.

"What are you going to do then, DiNozzo?" Ziva said cheekily, but before he could react Ava burst through the bathroom door.

"I'm finished!" She yelled.

"Well done!" Ziva beamed "Now shall we go and brush your teeth?"

Twenty minutes later Ava was ready and tucked into bed. She gazed up at Ziva drowsily, despite claiming she wasn't tired and wanted to stay up.

Ziva kissed her forehead and murmured "Good night"

She got a sleepy "Night" from Ava before her breathing evened out and she fell asleep clutching her fairy princess doll.

Ziva walked over to the light switch, knocked it off and then slowly moved over to where her bed for the night was situated. She felt for the side of the bed where Tony held the covers up for her and climbed in.

Tony let the covers drape over her body, then pulled her to his chest, so her face was nuzzled into his neck.

"What are you doing?" She whispered into his neck.

"Conserving body heat" Tony whispered back "Or is this not enough body hair for you?"

"I suppose it will do" Ziva sighed, snuggling into him more "Good night Tony"

Tony grinned into the darkness "Goodnight Zi"

He knew if this was what the road trip was going to be like every night he was really going to enjoy the next few days.

**I hope everyone liked the first chapter! I'm trying to make chapters a bit longer so they're a bit more interesting :)** **Please review on your way out to let me know what you think!**

**Thanks!**

**~Lori**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews so far! As response to an anonymous review- They didn't fly because otherwise it wouldn't be called road trip :P Also I forgot to mention that this is set in about season 8, as Ziva is a citizen but in my world Ray and EJ do not exist :) Hope you enjoy this one!**

**Disclaimer: I have a goldfish that I could trade for the rights... No? Never mind then :( **

Ziva woke up to a sharp pain in her back. She blearily opened her eyes and turned her head to find Ava stood there, looking up with sparkling eyes. Ziva looked at the clock which read six fifteen.

"What is wrong Ava?" Ziva spoke softly.

"Can we get up now?" She asked.

Ziva groaned "Could we sleep for a bit longer?"

Ava sighed "Fine, but can I sleep in your bed?"

Ziva looked sceptically at her, but Ava widened her eyes.

"Pleease Zi Zi" She begged.

Ziva stared down at her tiny chubby face and innocent eyes and sighed "Of course you can"

Ziva carefully moved Tony's arms and untangled their legs so she could turn to face Ava. She then lifted the covers for the young girl to climb in. Ava scrambled up and wrapped her arms around Ziva's stomach, her head resting on Ziva's chest. She was lulled back to sleep easily by Ziva's even breathing.

Ziva looked down at the tiny girl who was curled up in her arms. Despite all that she had been through Ava Marquez was still a cheerful, lovable little girl unlike Ziva who had turned bitter and unsociable when faced with the death of her mother at a young age. She never let it show when she was caring for her little sister though. But then Tali was unmercifully taken away also and she turned into an emotionless robot, never truly living but never dying either. She had joined Mossad to seek vengeance for their deaths and had been admired for her cold bloodedness. The first time she had ever felt anything emotionally was when she had killed Ari. He may have been a murderer and a terrorist, but he had still been her brother. He had always been a brilliant brother; helping her climb trees, teaching her how to play games and keeping her safe. And she had repaid by putting a bullet through his eyes. Then she had cried, truly cried, not just for her brother but for her mother, sister and the feelings that she had never let surface. When she had joined NCIS she had promised herself that it would only be a short stay. But then she grew accustomed to the kind caring attitudes that her co-workers possessed and having movie nights with her partner. NCIS had saved her- physically and emotionally from death. Now five years later she was a fully fledged NCIS agent.

An hour later she felt Tony stir and then move over so her back was flush against his chest.

"What time is it?" he mumbled, his voice scratchy.

"Early. Go back to sleep" Ziva responded.

He dug his face into her neck and went to put his arms around her stomach, but he felt a small figure had already beaten him to it "We got a little guest?" Tony quietly chuckled.

"She woke up even earlier than you have and insisted that she slept in here"

"You've been looking after her really well. Plus she always listens to you. I dunno why I was even needed" Tony mused, his breath tickling her neck.

"It is because you are my partner Tony and I will always need you" She said softly.

"I'll always need you too" Tony murmured "Now let's get a bit more sleep, shall we?"

He felt Ziva nod and they both drifted into unconsciousness for a while longer.

A few hours later Tony and Ziva were jolted awake when Tony's forehead and the back of Ziva's skull collided. Ziva shot up to find Ava bouncing on the bed like it was a trampoline.

"Ava, what are you doing?" Ziva asked sternly.

"You wouldn't get up" Ava pouted.

"That doesn't mean that you can break our bed!" Tony exclaimed.

"Tony be quiet" Ziva spoke, then turned to Ava "But Tony is right, you should not have done it"

"I'm sorry Zi Zi but I'm hungry" Ava said meekly.

"It is okay, but do not do it again" Ziva smiled softly "Now, what should we have for breakfast?"

They had ordered room service for breakfast and then they had gotten ready for the day and were now half way to their implied destination, Chicago. All had been going well so far; only one bathroom break and no travel sickness, but Ava was bored.

"Are we there yet?" she whined.

"Not quite yet, but do you want to play a game?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah! Let's play I spy!" Ava grinned.

Twenty five minutes later Tony was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "C'mon girls! Just give up and I'll tell you" He teased.

"Never!" Ava laughed.

"Well I give up" Ziva huffed "I have no idea what you are looking at, that begins with an F!"

"I give up too!" Ava declared.

"I thought you were never gonna give up?" Tony questioned.

"Yeah but Zi Zi gived up so I will too" She explained.

"Alright then! D'you wanna know what it was then?" Tony asked.

"Yesss!" Ava

"It was… Federal Agent!" He declared.

"Not fair! I'm too small to know a big word like that!" Ava protested.

"She is right Tony, you did that on purpose" Ziva pointed out.

"So maybe I did. I just wanted to win" Tony pouted like a child.

"Maybe next time" Ziva laughed "Now, pull over it is my turn to drive"

Thanks to Ziva's driving, they arrived in Chicago at a quarter past two- a full forty five minutes earlier than planned. They checked into their hotel, so they could drop off their bags. They were now sat in the car deliberating where they wanted to go. They had asked the receptionist for ideas and she had recommended the Navy pier as there was a children's museum there.

"I think the children's museum looks interesting" Ziva mused as she looked through the leaflet that the receptionist had handed her.

"The entire Navy pier is really good Zi! I've been before and I know that you'll love it" Tony said staring into her eyes earnestly.

"I am sure it would be lovely, but we do not have enough time to see it all. Where do want to go?" Ziva turned to the child strapped in her car seat behind her.

"Museum!" Ava grinned.

"Then that is where we shall go" Ziva stated.

It was a short drive to the pier and as soon as they walked into the museum they knew it had been the right choice- Ava's eyes were wider than saucers.

"Coool!" She yelled as she ran up to the counter of admission.

"How old is she?" The cashier asked as they paid.

"Five" Ziva answered.

"Then I suggest you visit kid town and tree house trails which are both designed especially for children of five and under. Plus if you have time there's the dinosaur expedition or if she doesn't mind heights the kovler family climbing schooner is good fun too" He said looking Ziva up and down.

"Thanks" Tony smiled tightly and wrapped his arm around Ziva's waist. "Where do you want to go first princess?" He said whilst looking down at Ava.

"Dinosaurs!" She yelled excitedly.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the museum. Ava had a wonderful time 'digging' for dinosaur bones and spent several hours learning about dinosaurs and comparing different dinosaur bones. At the end of expedition she had her picture taken by a life size dinosaur by Ziva. One of the museum's staff saw them by the skellington and asked if they wanted a photo of the three of them. Tony agreed almost immediately and dragged Ziva over to where Ava was stood. He put his arm around Ziva's waist again and smiled brightly. Once the photo had been taken, Tony thanked the helper and looked at the camera's screen. He smiled at what he saw; Ziva smiling beautifully and leaning into him, with her other arm on Ava's shoulder. They looked so natural that if he hadn't known they weren't he would believe they were just a normal family having fun. He hoped that one day Ziva would see that was what he wanted with her.

They didn't go to kid town after Ava decided that big girls didn't go and play where little kids were, but she did enjoy visiting the enchanted forest in the tree house trails section. Ziva looked at her watch and gasped in surprise.

"It is five thirty already!" She exclaimed.

"Really?" Tony asked, surprised himself at how quickly time had gone.

Ziva crouched down to Ava's height "Shall we have a look in the gift shop and then go for some food?"

Ava nodded eagerly and ran to put a toy back that she had been playing with. As they walked to the gift shop Tony pulled his arm around Ziva's waist, yet again.

"Why do you keep doing that? Is it because that man looked at me earlier?" Ziva asked.

"Well kinda, but I do it because I want to Zi" He said quietly, so she could only hear.

Ziva's cheeks reddened slightly "That is very sweet of you Tony"

Before her could reply Ava ran up to the pair, clutching a pink dinosaur teddy bear. "Zi Zi, can I get this?"

"I suppose you can, as you have been a good girl today" Ziva smiled and let Ava drag her to the cashier.

As Tony was waiting, he noticed a small plush dinosaur which was purple. He picked it up to have a look and saw it had a Z embroidered on its stomach. He knew he had to get it for Ziva, but he wanted to surprise her. So while she was distracted by Ava, he discreetly purchased it and then tucked the bag into his pocket.

He then walked over to where Ziva was stood with a very happy Ava in her arms, giving her a big hug. "I'm guessing someone's happy then" Tony grinned at them.

"Yeah, Zi Zi's the best!" Ava beamed.

"Where is the best place to go for food then?" Ziva asked Tony.

"There's loads of seafood restaurants around here, if you wanted to go to one of those?" He spoke.

"Yuck! I don't like fish food" Ava said, making a face.

"Do you like pizza?" Tony asked the small girl and she nodded "Then do you want to go to the pizza place that's down the road?"

"Okay" Ava confirmed.

The trio walked down the street and turned right to find a small restaurant which looked simple, but homely. They entered and a waiter immediately sat them on a small table by the window. It was larger than expected and fairly busy with mainly just couples, but no children in sight.

Tony picked a menu up and glanced through it "I'm getting pepperoni pizza"

"That was expected" Ziva commented.

"I'm not _that _predictable… am I?" He whined.

Ziva looked up from her menu and smiled "You are to me"

"Zi Zi, what can I have?" Ava asked looking at the menu confused.

Ziva realised Ava couldn't read very well "Oh sorry Ava! I think you will either like the cheese and ham pizza, spaghetti and meatballs or the pasta in tomato sauce"

Ava's forehead crinkled slightly while she mulled over her options "I think I will have the pizza, please" She said politely.

"Good girl for using your manners" Ziva praised.

"What you gettin' Zi?" Tony asked.

"I think I am going to have the chicken piccata, but with no mushrooms" She replied.

The waiter came to take their order. Tony asked for what they wanted and the waiter nodded as he wrote everything down.

"Thanks!" Ava smiled at the waiter before he turned around to take the order to the kitchen.

"That was very nice Ava" Ziva smiled at her and stroked her mildly frizzy hair.

"Well like you said Zi Zi I'm a good girl and good girls say thanks" She pointed out, her 'good girl reward' sat on her lap as she hugged the dinosaur.

"That is well remembered" Ziva praised again.

Not one to be left out, Tony piped up "Yeah, I can't always remember stuff so I get in trouble with my boss a lot"

"I think that's true" Ava grinned.

"Hey! Why's that?" Tony asked, a mock look of hurt on his face.

"It's 'coz boys are silly!" She giggled.

"That is very true" Ziva agreed.

"Hey! I thought we were partners" Tony pouted childishly.

"We are Tony. But I am on Ava's team for this battle" She smirked.

Before Tony could respond, thankfully for him as he had nothing of intelligence to say, the waiter came over with two pizzas. He placed them down and got a mumble of recognition from Tony and an over exuberant thanks from Ava. He came back moments later with Ziva's piccata and placed it on the table.

"She's really well behaved you know, probably has the best manners I've ever seen" The waiter noticed.

"Thanks" Tony grinned widely "We try our best"

The waiter gave a shot a small smile back before taking his leave. Ziva gave him a funny look as they ate in silence. It didn't take long for them to finish- Ava had been running around all day with Ziva hot on her tail for most of it and Tony had just been plain hungry. They paid the bill and then returned to the car so they could drive back to the hotel.

When they got there Ava sat down on her child sized bed with her fairy princess doll and pink dinosaur so she could watch the TV that was attached to the wall. While she was occupied Ziva went into the bathroom to get changed. She had just put her pyjama top on when Tony crept up behind her. He was about to yell boo! When she spun round with an unimpressed look on her face.

"What are you doing?" She asked him with an incredulous look on her face.

"Well I was going to surprise you" He answered.

"You know I do not like surprises" Ziva frowned.

Tony pulled the bag with the children's museum logo on it "So I'm guessing that you don't want this then?"

Ziva's face lit up "Well… maybe I do like some surprises" She said before grabbing the bag out of Tony's hand.

She pulled out the little purple dinosaur and gasped "Thank you Tony! This was very… kind of you" She smiled and gave him a gentle hug.

"Look on it's stomach" Tony directed as she examined the small plush.

She turned to the dinosaur's stomach and beamed again "It even has a Z on!"

"Yeah, well we wouldn't want probie stealing it now would we?" He joked.

"No we would not. Thank you again Tony, this is probably the most thoughtful present somebody has ever given me" She said sincerely while looking into his eyes.

"It's no problem" He replied flashing her his mega watt grin "Now, let's go watch a movie!"

A few hours later Ziva felt herself drifting to sleep. They had watched the little mermaid, which she had enjoyed thoroughly. She was sure that Ava had fallen asleep a while ago but the lion king was still playing. Her eyelids were getting heavy and Tony stroking her arm relaxingly wasn't helping her stay awake.

Tony saw that Ziva was fighting sleep and tried stroking her arm to relax her, but it hadn't seemed to work "Ziva, relax. You need to get some sleep" He said soothingly, his hand still moving up and down.

"Fine, but you too" She grumbled.

"Whatever you say sweetcheeks" Tony grinned and turned the TV off with the remote.

Tony wrapped his arm around Ziva's waist and she laid her head on his chest. He pulled her even closer, so she was almost on top of him and he buried his nose in her wild hair.

"Night Zi" He whispered.

"Night Tony" Ziva murmured, on the cusp of sleep.

Right before giving into unconsciousness Ziva hoped that Tony would still treat her like this when they got back to DC.

**I hope that the longer chapters are more interesting! Tell me in a review what you think and I'll try and answer you as soon as I can!**

******Thanks for reading! **

**~Lori**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! I'm seriously baffled at how many reviews I've received for this! Thank you so much :D I hope you keep enjoying it! Next up is a bit of Tony and Ava bonding. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I'm asking for NCIS for christmas, but that's still a bit off ofr now :/ **

Ava was bored. She had woken up fairly early and to her disappointment Ziva and Tony were still asleep. But she had her new dinosaur and her fairy princess doll to play with and had spent the next hour making them go on an adventure to conquer the hotel room while facing danger like the bottomless but empty well (sink) and having to climb through heavy snow blankets (towels). But once the team of toys had reached their destination and Ava had picked up the lamp that she had knocked over, she had no idea what to do. She felt her stomach rumble and decided that it was time for one of the pair that was sleeping to wake up.

She mulled over her decisions. Ziva- She was Ava's favourite and probably wouldn't mind being woken but she had looked tired the day before. Tony- He was sometimes grumpy, but after the really hot stuff which smelled bad that adults called coffee, he wasn't too bad. He also didn't mind her getting sugary foods instead of the healthy ones that Ziva tried to get her to eat. She had made her choice, so she climbed up onto the bed and began to shake her prey.

"Ooof!" Tony grumbled as the little girl shook his arm.

"Tony, wake up!" She whispered loudly.

Tony cracked one eye open to find the little girl looking at him hopefully "What's wrong?"

"I'm hungry" She stated.

"Okay, one sec and we can find somewhere to eat, okay?" He replied and Ava nodded as he untangled himself from Ziva.

Tony carefully slid out of bed and pulled on a random shirt and his pants from yesterday. He looked over at Ava who was still in her nightgown. "Are you going out like that?" He asked her.

"Yep!" She giggled.

"Okay then missy" Tony scooped her up and walked out of the door.

He went down to the concierge's desk and asked the man where was best to have breakfast. The man had happily given them directions to a small café down the street where they could get food to go. Once they had walked to the tiny snack bar (with many strange looks as Ava was sat on Tony's shoulders, her hands clinging his sandy coloured hair, still dressed in her purple night gown squealing delightedly while Tony pretended to be a galloping horse) they had a hard task ahead; choosing what to order for breakfast.

They looked over the menu carefully "I think I'm gonna have bacon and eggs with extra bacon" Tony decided.

"I want choc pancakes" Ava added.

"What do you say if you want something?" Tony hinted at the small girl.

"Ummm… I want it?" Ava smiled cheekily.

"You know what I mean" Tony said, starting to get annoyed- he didn't have the patients to cope with pesky little five year olds at this time of the morning.

She went to open her mouth again, but Tony interrupted her "You know what, I'll tell Ziva you were a naughty girl and she'll be upset"

Ava huffed dramatically "Fiiine! Please may I have choc pancakes Tony?"

Tony grinned "Yes you can, princess. Now… what should we get Ziva?"

Ava's face scrunched up with thought "She likes fruit"

"Yeah, but she needs to eat something different for once!"

"Yeah!" Ava nodded "Zi Zi is silly for liking fruit"

"Exactly" Tony agreed.

They stared at the menu for a few minutes until Tony exclaimed "I know what she'll like!"

Ziva slowly woke up as the sun shone on her face from the little crack in the curtain which wasn't quite closed. She reached over to the space next to her but it was stone cold. The room was also quiet. Too quiet for Ziva's liking. She pulled herself up groggily and noticed Ava's bed covers screwed up in a ball on the floor. _Goodness knows what she was doing _Ziva thought as she walked over to the en-suite to check if anyone was in there, but she came up empty with her search. Now she began to panic slightly. She had no idea where Tony and Ava were; they could be hurt or even dead. Her mind started to spin until she realised she could call Tony. It looked like he had taken his cell with him.

As the phone rang she started muttering "please pick up Tony, please pick up…"

"Hello?" Tony said cheerfully.

"Oh thank god" Ziva sighed, feeling relieved.

"Did ya miss me sweet cheeks?" Tony said teasingly.

"Of course I did my furry bear" Ziva purred seductively.

She heard Tony gulp at the other end of the line "Really?" He said eagerly.

"No" Ziva chuckled "But I did wonder where Ava was"

"Well she's right here if you want to speak to her"

"Yes please"

She heard muttering while the phone was passed over then an enthusiastic "Hi Zi Zi!"

"Good morning Ava, how are you?" Ziva smiled.

"I'm okay thanks, me and Tony are out getting breakfast"

"Is that so? Will you be back soon?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah, we're in the lobby now so see you soon!" Ava squealed "Tony stop tickling me!"

She heard a few more squeals until the line went dead and the dial tone could be heard. Sure enough to Ava's statement about five minutes later Ava burst through the door.

"Hiii!" She shouted loudly as she crashed onto Tony and Ziva's bed.

Ziva sat next to her on the bed "You have my breakfast, yes? I am starving"

"Right here sweet cheeks" Tony grinned charmingly and handed her a steaming box.

"What is in this?" Ziva asked suspiciously.

"Why don't you find out?" Tony replied.

Ziva braced herself for the worst and opened the little cardboard box. She was relieved to find that it was just a simple cheese omelette- no bacon with maple syrup and no 'DiNozzo's specials', which were anything in his fridge which hadn't expired cooked together then served. Ziva remembered the time he had cooked it and she had nearly threw up at the smell of it, let alone the taste.

"Thank you Tony" She smiled.

Tony laughed "You're welcome Zi. Did you really think that I would get you a DiNozzo special?"

Ziva's eyes widened "How did you know-"

"I know you" Tony butted in, staring into Ziva's eyes.

They stared at each other for what felt like hours, until Ava tripped over one of Tony's abandoned shoes with a full plastic cup of orange juice. Ziva snapped out of her trance as Ava fell into her, spilling the sticky orange liquid all over her pyjamas.

Ziva gasped as the cold liquid soaked her clothes.

Ava' mouth dropped open as her mind processed what had just happened. Her eyes filled up with tears and she began to cry "I'm sorry Zi Zi"

"It is okay sweetie" Ziva soothed, rubbing her arm gently "I needed a shower anyway"

Ava still howled on and mumbled over and over how sorry she was.

"Tony, calm her down please. I am going in the shower" Ziva spoke quietly.

"I can't look after a kid!" Tony hissed back at her.

"Yes you can! You did a great job this morning, I am sure you'll be fine!" She replied before slipping into the bathroom.

Tony looked at the five year old, who now had snot dripping down her face Tony sprung into action. He grabbed a tissue, dried her eyes and wiped all the snot away. He picked her up and sat her on his knee while he rocked her back and forth.

"It's okay princess" He spoke gently "Ziva's not mad"

Ava gazed up "She isn't?"

"Of course not! Didn't you hear her earlier?"

"No" She mumbled "couldn't hear coz' I was crying loud"

"Well everything's okay now" Tony smiled at her "Now, what do you want to wear today?"

Ziva exited the bathroom in a white fluffy towel to see Ava sat next to Tony looking much happier than she did before she had left.

Ava ran up to her and smiled "I'm sorry Zi Zi"

"It is okay sweetie. I am all clean now, yes?" Ziva picked the five year old up and hugged her.

"Yep" Ava giggled and wriggled in Ziva's arms

Ziva's towel slipped slightly and she blushed "Well, I better get dressed so we can set off" She smiled, grabbed her clothes and slipped back into the bathroom.

Four hours later Tony pulled up at the hotel at their next destination- Iowa City. They deserted their bags in the pleasant room and set off to the river and aquarium museum Tony had found on his smart phone when he had googled 'stuff to do for kids in Iowa City'.

They started in the aquariums where there were huge tanks of crocodiles, an array of different fish, frogs, turtles, giant catfish and even ducks that had swam round their spacious enclosures happily, much to Ava's delight. Then they had moved on to see the otters, which Ava had decided that they were her favourite animal after dinosaurs. They decided to go to the touch lab next, where you could touch fur pelts and freshwater animals. As they were walking there Ziva tangled her hand with Tony's.

He looked at her, puzzled but before he asked she simply said "I do not want to lose you while we are walking as there are a lot of people here"

Tony looked around at the fairly empty aquarium and winked at her "Whatever you say sweetcheeks. I knew you couldn't resist my charms"

Ziva rolled her eyes overdramatically "Of course Tony, how could anyone resist you"

As they approached the 'lab' Ava ran up to Ziva "Zi Zi! Can I touch a muskell?"

Ziva chuckled "Do you mean mussel?"

Ava nodded enthusiastically "Yeah, one of those!"

"If you would like to, then yes you can"

Ava ran over to the tank where the 'muskell's' rested.

The three of them all enjoyed themselves- Ziva had squealed uncharacteristically when she touched a snail, which Tony had found cute until she handed him the slimy snail which had started to leave silvery tracks up his jumper. Ava had happily stroked the different animal pelts in fascination. They had finally been politely asked to leave when Tony had picked up a craw fish and tried to put it in Ziva's hair.

As they walked to their next destination- the 4D cinema, Ziva walked slightly ahead of Tony with Ava. They had decided that they were going to watch Ice age- dawn of the dinosaurs in 4D because Ava loved dinosaurs, Tony wanted to see a 4D movie and Ziva just wanted everyone to be happy.

They sat in the uncrowded cinema Tony leaned over to Ziva "Sorry I tried to give you a haircut"

"What?" She replied confused.

"You know, with the craw fish earlier" He clarified.

Ziva chuckled "Oh, that. It is fine Tony. You scared Ava more than you scared me"

They both looked over to the five year old who was sat next to Ziva happily watching Sid the Sloth trying to feed the three baby dinosaurs vegetables.

"I'm gonna miss that kid" Tony sighed.

"I will too"

They looked at each other, barely seeing their partner in the dingy light of the movie theatre. They both went to lean in until Ava screamed loudly. Ziva whipped her head round, but Tony continued to lean in and ended up kissing her cheek.

"What is wrong?" Ziva asked Ava as she felt something warm on her cheek.

"Rudy the meanie's chasing them!" She squealed and clambered into Ziva's lap.

Ziva wrapped one of her arms around Ava's waist as she got comfortable. Once she had stopped wriggling, Ziva turned to face Tony who was still sat staring at her stupidly.

Ziva used her spare hand to cup his cheek. He smiled at her sheepishly and mumbled "Sorry"

"It is fine" Ziva smiled at him. He still looked put out, so she leaned in and kissed his cheek in return.

His mouth dropped in surprise. She smirked at him "Sorry" She said unapologetically.

"It's okay" He winked back, causing her to giggle.

"Shhh!" Ava whined.

They both promptly shut up for the rest of the movie.

An hour later they walked out of the theatre. Ava was babbling excitedly about her favourite parts of the movie while she held one hand of Tony's and one of Ziva's. The museum/ aquarium was closing soon, so they decided to stop at a MacDonald's on the way back to the hotel.

They had eaten on Tony and Ziva's bed. Now Tony was dozing while Ava was having a bath with the assistance of Ziva. All Tony could hear was the occasional splash and giggle; he wondered what they possibly could be doing in there that was so funny. But that was the beauty of Ziva- she somehow made even the most unbearable tasks better. He could imagine them with children. He could see a little boy and a little girl running around in a spacious back garden while Ziva sat out with a book; she had a swollen stomach with their third child and he would be happily barbequing meat on the grill- they would be the perfect family. But that was the thing, they weren't the perfect family. But recently they had been flirting more, just like they used to. He took it as a sign that it was time to finally make a move.

About twenty minutes later Ava burst through the bathroom door, wrapped in a fluffy white towel. Ziva emerged after her, dripping on the carpet. Tony laughed as she shook her hair like a wet dog.

"It is not funny Tony!" She smirked slightly "It is a bit funny, yes?"

"Oh yeah" He sniggered.

"Can I borrow one of your shirts?" She asked.

He stopped laughing "What for?"

"To sleep in. My pyjamas are covered in orange juice" She pointed out.

"Oh yeah" He said, almost stupidly "Let me get you one"

He rummaged through his suitcase and pulled out a shirt with 'Ohio state' printed on the front and DiNozzo written on the back. He threw it at her and she deftly caught it.

"Thank you" She smiled at him slightly.

"Anytime" He grinned back.

Ziva quickly helped Ava get dressed into her pyjamas, pink ones this time since the orange juice incident that morning had also made her night dress unwearable. Then she slipped into the bathroom and minutes later she reappeared in Tony's shirt.

Tony sat up as Ziva emerged from the bathroom and his mouth dropped. He hadn't thought Ziva could look any more beautiful than she did now. _Well maybe in a wedding dress _he thought, but that would be a bit further into the future for now. He watched her tuck Ava in with a tenderness that he had never seen before, but he wished he had. Ava snuggled down with pinky the dinosaur and prilly the fairy princess; she was asleep within five minutes despite insisting she hadn't been tired.

Ziva came and sat on the bed next to him "Hey" She said quietly.

"Hey" He replied back.

They sat in silence for a while until Tony broke it "Do you want kids Zi?"

Ziva looked in surprise "Of course! Do… you want children?"

Tony smiled fondly "Yeah"

"Do you know how many children you would want?" She asked.

"I want at least two. Probably three, but I wouldn't object to having four" He answered.

"Four is a lot of children Tony" Ziva said with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Not with the right woman it isn't" He smiled at her again.

"Do you think you have found the right woman?" She asked, staring into his emerald eyes.

"Yeah" He grinned widely "Do you think you've found the right guy?"

"Yes" She smiled broadly back "Yes I have"

They sat quietly for a while, just looking at each other almost in agreement; that they were each other's perfect match.

Ziva broke the serene silence "We should go to bed now, it is getting late"

"Yeah" Tony agreed as he got underneath the covers.

"Good night Tony" Ziva mumbled as she cuddled in next to him

"Night Zi" He whispered back.

Today had been a good day, for the both of them as they edged closer to their version of 'perfect'.

**Sorry it got a bit soppy at the end, but a bit of Tiva goodness as Cote's leaving is what we need! I'd love to know what you think about this chapter and if you have any questions feel free to PM me! Thanks for reading :)**

**Long live Tiva :D**

**~Lori**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again! I would seriously like to thank you all for all the reviews! They're all lovely to read and inspire me to write quicker, so keep them coming :D This chapter there is a good dose of Tiva which is hopefully to your liking!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned NCIS I would have made this story into a 2 part episode because Tiva+ kids are cute :)**

Ava huffed as she fell on her backside yet again. Ziva carefully leant over and pulled her up on her feet while Tony stood by the pair laughing.

"Tony it is Ava's first time roller skating so it is not surprising that she has fallen over a few times" Ziva told the immature man.

"Sorry princess" He said apologetically to the little girl.

Ava smiled at him "It's okay! Can I hold your hand now? Zi Zi goes too slow"

Tony held his hand out for her to take "C'mon then!"

Ziva watched as Tony and Ava skated away quickly. She was glad that the little girl was in a good mood again. They were now in Nebraska, their destination for the night. But they hadn't made it there in high spirits- most of the day had been a nightmare.

Ziva had woken up before anyone else and slipped out quietly to get breakfast after untangling her limbs from Tony's. She had been so tight in his embrace that she felt like his conjoined twin. But if she was honest she would quite enjoy being stuck to him, well for the night anyway. She was pretty sure being attached to him during the day would be fairly annoying. After getting a shower She had came back in to find Ava looking for her under the bed.

"What are you doing?" She had asked the little girl.

"Well you weren't in bed so I thought that you had fallen out and rolled under the bed. That happens all the time with my teddies" Ava had replied.

"I have got breakfast" Ziva told her as she handed Ava a small box which had cereal, some milk and an apple inside.

As soon as she opened the box Ava's face fell. She didn't want fruit or cereal. She had wanted chocolate pancakes with maple syrup or chocolate sauce.

"I wanted pancakes" Ava sulked.

"Well, you have had pancakes for two days in a row so I thought you might want a change" Ziva answered.

"Well I don't!" She whined.

"It is tough as that is what you are eating" Ziva said sternly.

Ava sighed dramatically and started nibbling her apple. Ziva walked over to the bed where Tony lay sprawled out on his stomach, snoring loudly.

She shook his shoulder with her hand "Tony"

He grumbled slightly and settled back to sleep almost instantaneously.

"Tony" She called slightly louder and shook him harder.

He mumbled "Five more minutes boss" and pulled the pillow over his head.

Ziva sighed in exasperation and grabbed her ice cold bottled water "Tony, my little furry bear" She lifted the pillow form his head and purred into his ear.

"Gimme a back rub then sweet cheeks" Tony mumbled into the mattress.

"Oh I would" Ziva continued seductively "But, there is a child in the room and I would prefer to do this" She uncapped the bottle of water and tipped some of the icy water over his head.

She sprung back immediately and he jumped up. She covered Ava's eyes as Tony hadn't bothered wearing any pants but his underwear to bed. Ziva made a shuddering motion with her shoulders and turned around while Tony put some clothes on.

"Not cool sweet cheeks" He whinged "You totally ruined my hair"

"Well you look less like a porcuswine now" She grinned at him.

"It's porcupine Zi. Did ya get food?" He asked eagerly, forgetting about his hair as soon as he saw Ava eating her cereal miserably.

"Yes I did. Yours is in the paper bag" She called while she poured some juice into a cup for Ava.

When Tony delved into the bag containing their breakfast his face fell "Uh, did you forget the bacon?" He asked, looking worried.

"There is no bacon today Tony. You will be having a fruit salad for breakfast like me"

"What? I need bacon to help me de-grumpify myself!" He exclaimed.

"De-grumpify?" Ziva questioned.

"Yeah, basically it makes me easier to get along with" He explained.

"Well you will just have to be grumpy then" Ziva said firmly.

After everyone had gotten ready grouchily they had all piled into the slightly grimy Government Issue car and Tony pulled off to begin their journey to their next pit stop. But Ava had moaned the whole way there because she had wanted a different breakfast and Tony had readily joined in. When they stopped for lunch Ava had decided that Tony was her favourite so it was him who had to take her to the bathroom.

He had taken her hand and lead her to an empty stall "You gonna be okay by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'm a big girl remember?" She said with a wide grin on her face.

Tony had been himself and after washing his hands stood waiting outside the cubicle Ava had entered over five minutes ago.

"Princess, you okay?" He called to her.

He was thrown several 'are you crazy?' looks until Ava yelled back "Yep, one more minute!"

True to her word Ava emerged a minute later looking proud of herself. Tony lifted her up to the sink to wash her hands.

While she rubbed the soap into her tiny palms Tony asked "What took you so long? Did ya fall down the toilet?"

"Almost" She giggled "But I held onto the seat"

Tony grinned as he handed her a paper towel "You are a very special girl Ava"

"I know" She sighed sadly "Mommy used to tell me all the time"

"It's okay to be sad Ava" Tony explained.

"I know. But I think mommy would want me to be happy 'coz she used to smile all the time" She told Tony, her miniature teeth showing while she smiled.

"That's a lovely thought to remember" He said gently "Now, what should we get for lunch?"

They had gotten lunch and then set off again on their long journey. Ava had felt quite sick after lunch so Tony sat in the back with her while Ziva drove carefully, as not to agitate the travel sick girl anymore. They had arrived in Nebraska slightly earlier than expected, but not as early as if Ziva had driven full blown Ziva style.

As they drove to their hotel they passed a roller skating rink "Whassat Tony?" Ava asked.

"It's a roller skating rink" He replied.

"What's a rolling rink?" She queried.

"A roller rink is a place where people wear special shoes with wheels and slide around in a circle" He explained.

"Oooh! Can we go there?" She squealed excitedly.

"I'm sure we can. We'll have to drop our bags off first though" He grinned at the girl's enthusiastic face.

And now they slid round, Ava squealing every time they turned slightly. As Ziva observed the pair she decided that Tony would make a good father; he was very good with children. She could see them one day with a house, children and a dog. She chucked slightly- never in a million years did she think that she would ever have the chance to settle down, let alone live past twenty five. However, now she could envision her new, stable life now that she was an American citizen and free of her father.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Tony skated past and grabbed her hand. She laughed as he pulled her along with one hand and with the other he kept Ava from falling.

"Faster!" Ava squealed delightedly.

Tony sped up slightly, but Ava tried to pull him closer while he still hung onto a lagging Ziva. Ava let go of him and by somehow stayed on her feet, but Tony slipped backwards and ended up sat on Ziva.

He turned around so their foreheads were touching "You okay?" He asked her.

"I think I am" Ziva gritted out "As soon as you get off me I will"

"Awww sweet cheeks, you love me really" He winked at her.

Ziva raised her eyebrow "So what if I do?"

"Well we might see ourselves like this more often, but with less clothes" He grinned cheekily.

"I am sure we could sort something out" She purred, then pushed his chest so he rolled off her.

They stood up and Tony caught her hand "D'you really mean that?"

Ziva licked her lips "Maybe" She pulled out of his grip and skated off.

Tony groaned. Ziva was truly going to kill him one day.

Ziva skated over to him with Ava in tow "Shall we go for dinner?" Ziva asked.

"Uh, yeah sure" Tony smiled "Where were you thinking?"

"I do not know" She shrugged "Did you see anywhere?"

"Yeah I think I did" Tony answered.

They ended up eating in a diner where there was bacon for Tony, pancakes for Ava and disapproving eye rolls from Ziva. She reluctantly ordered something greasy but muttered to herself how bad this was for her body. They had taken their time and it was late by the time they made it back to their hotel.

Tony carried a sleeping Ava up to their room. While he got ready for bed, Ziva dressed the young girl in her pyjamas. Tony came back out of the bathroom and sat on the bed.

"We need to talk" Tony said quietly.

"What about?" Ziva played dumb.

"About us" He replied.

"What about us?" She asked.

"About what we want, together or individually" Tony patted the bed beside him.

Ziva sat next to him "I…I just want something permanent- someone who will love me no matter what and hopefully have children with me" She said in a hushed voice, almost embarrassed "What do you want?"

"I want you Ziva" Tony spoke simply and pressed his lips to hers.

She moaned softly as he pressed her down, onto the bed. She kissed him deeper, yielding all he wanted to give her. Tony leaned further into her kissing her even deeper, a moan reverberating from his throat.

Ziva pulled her face away from his "Tony" She panted breathlessly.

"Yeah" He smiled gently at her, cupping her face in his hands.

"We can't do this" She said sadly.

"What? Is it because of Gibbs' rules? 'Coz I don't care about them. Or am I not the right guy? I can be Ziva I swear I can change" He rambled on, desperately.

"Tony enough!" Ziva said sharply and he promptly shut up "It is nothing like that. But if you have forgotten there is a five year old sleeping over there and I can be fairly loud" She blushed slightly.

Tony rolled off of her for the second time that day "I completely forgot about her" He sniggered slightly "Why don't you go get ready for bed and then we can have a lovely sex-free sleep"

Ziva kissed him lightly on the lips "Okay then" and then walked jauntily out of the room.

Tony lay there happily on his side of the bed and he punched the air. He had finally done it- finally wrangled the girl of his dreams after years and years of chasing. Ziva emerged from the bathroom in Tony's T-shirt and his grin grew wider.

He opened the covers for her and she slid in and nestled into his side. They lay there quietly for a while until Ziva gently said "Tony what about Gibbs?"

"Don't worry about for now, okay Zi?" He replied, stroking her arm tenderly.

He felt her nod into his chest.

"We'll figure it out when we get there" He whispered to her as they drifted to sleep.

They knew it wouldn't be easy, but Gibbs would have to compromise- it had taken them long enough to stop avoiding the temptation of each other. But no matter what the problems they would figure it out- together.

**So, did you like the Tiva goodness? Sorry it was a bit sappy again (It's probably going to be sappy again) It would be lovely to hear what you think about this chapter (especially if you thought the Tiva bit was good) I hoped you enjoyed reading!**

**Tiva babies would be the coolest kids at school, you have to admit it!**

**~Lori **


	5. Chapter 5

**Greetings! I would like to thank you all yet again for being fantastic reviewers! This was meant to be posted yesterday, but due to internet problems I couldn't, so I apologise :/ But I hope you enjoy the next chapter and keep reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned NCIS I would be able to afford better internet... **

Ziva was startled awake by a slam of the bathroom door and the sound of retching. She glanced at the clock and the red digital numbers read two fifteen. She groaned and pulled herself out of bed and Tony's arms.

"What's wrong?" Tony mumbled hoarsely.

"I think Ava is being sick. Do not worry I will sort her out" Ziva whispered back.

"Do you want me to get up too?" He offered.

"No it is okay. Besides, someone needs to drive tomorrow, it is a long way to Wyoming" She replied.

Tony mumbled a 'night in response, but Ziva barely heard him as she strode over to the closed bathroom door.

When she opened the heavy door, her heart broke. Ava was half sat, half hunched over the toilet vomiting violently. Ziva knelt down next to her and rubbed her back soothingly. After Ava had finished she whimpered a "Sorry Zi Zi"

"What are you sorry for?" Ziva spoke gently.

"I shouldn't have eaten all the candy and I did" She bawled.

Ziva pulled her brown locks into a braid and secured it with a hair band from her wrist. "It has happened now, so never mind. At least your hair will not get dirty" She smiled softly at the little girl who had climbed into her lap.

"Fanks Zi Zi" Ava snuggled into her chest.

"You are welcome sweetie" Ziva spoke gently to the sick girl.

Then Ava lurched up again and started to heave over the toilet bowl again. Ziva continued to rub her back relaxingly while assuring her everything was going to be okay. Ava continued to empty the contents of her stomach for several hours, until she fell asleep curled up in Ziva's lap. Ziva had tried to stay awake, just in case she woke up again but her eyelids felt so heavy and the bath panel felt so comfy to lean on, and before she knew it she was out like a light.

The next morning Tony awoke at eight thirty AM to a cold bed and a silent room. He stretched his limbs out like an ungraceful chimpanzee, pulled on a pair of pants, then stumbled into the bathroom. He found Ziva leant up against the cheap plastic bath panel, with Ava curled up in the foetal position on Ziva's lap. He leaned over and shook Ziva's shoulder lightly and she jolted awake instantly. Her shoulders stiffened and her hand which had been tangled in Ava's hair reached for the nonexistent gun on her hip.

She saw who it was and relaxed "Oh, good morning Tony"

"Morning Zi, you okay?" He asked, stroking Ziva's cheek.

"I am fine. However I think today is going to be difficult" She sighed, and went back to stroking Ava's hair.

"It'll be fine Zi. You're always good at making people feel better"

Ziva blushed slightly "Thank you Tony"

He pecked her lips lightly "You're welcome Zi. Now, could you ladies vacate the bathroom? I really need to pee"

Ziva chuckled as she exited the bathroom. She lay Ava down on the larger bed and gently shook her awake. Ava mildly grumbled, but her large brown eyes opened.

"How are you feeling?" Ziva said quietly.

"I still don't feel too good" Ava sniffled.

"It will be okay, we can get you some medicine today, yes?"

Ava nodded in agreement "Sorry Zi Zi"

"For what?" Ziva asked.

"You didn't get any sleep" She replied.

Ziva's heart melted at the tiny girl who was more concerned about her carer sleeping rather than her own health "Ava sweetie, it is fine. You needed help and I was happy to stay with you"

"Really?" She stared up at Ziva.

"Really" Ziva confirmed, giving her a gentle hug.

Tony walked out of the bathroom door "Morning ladies!"

"Hi Tony" Ava said quietly.

Tony bent down so he was eye level with her "You not feeling very well?"

She shook her head.

"It's okay, you can get some sleep while I drive" He comforted, ruffling her hair slightly.

"We need to get her something to settle her stomach" Ziva said to him.

"Yeah I'll go to the drug store over the road in a minute" He said, pulling on his top.

"I will give Ava a warm bath. That might make her feel a bit better" She scooped up the young girl in question and carried her back to the bathroom.

She heard a "Be back soon Zi!" and the door close just as she was undressing Ava.

Ava was fairly tired and Ziva had had to hold her head up for most of the time she was in the bath as her eyelids kept drooping. Once she had been bathed, Ziva dug through and found a different pair of pyjamas for her to be dressed in. Then she was bundled into her fluffy jumper and thick socks. Ava tried to protest, but Ziva was insistent that she kept warm- she didn't need a cold as well as an upset stomach. By the time Tony had arrived back Ziva had also showered and changed. Ava was sat dejectedly watching a cartoon of some sort on the small TV.

"What took you so long?" Ziva asked as Tony came in with two bags filled to the brim with stuff.

"Well, I got some stuff to help her stomach and then noticed there was a Wal-Mart just down a few streets, so I found some pink dinosaur pyjamas with matching slippers, just in case she pukes on her last set of PJs, then a colouring book to keep her entertained. Plus there were loads of cool pencils so I just _had _to get them and I got you one of those fruit salad things that you like" He said while placing the overflowing bags down.

Ziva raised her eyebrow "That looks like there is more than that in the bags Tony"

Tony rubbed the back of his head sheepishly "Well there was a few good films that I wanted and the rest is junk food"

Ziva's eyes widened as he tipped the fizzy drinks, Doritos and chocolate out of the bag.

"Tony!" Ziva exclaimed.

"What?" He asked confused.

"Could you even eat all of that?"

"Well, I can try" Tony grinned.

"When you end up in the hospital because you had a heart attack, I shall say I told you so" Ziva shook her head.

"Whatever you say sweet cheeks" He winked at her "I'm gonna go shower, so we can set off soon"

"Sounds good" Ziva nodded, and turned back to Ava "Do you want anything to eat?"

Ava shook her head decisively "No I want to feel better"

"Not even some toast?" Ziva offered.

"Nope" Ava replied "Did Tony get me some med'cin?" She asked hopefully.

Ziva rummaged through one of the bags and pulled out a box "Yes he did. Wait a moment till I see how much you should take"

She read the instructions quickly and saw it would settle her stomach and then sighed in relief when the side effects were drowsiness- at least she would be sleeping for most of the eight hour journey ahead. Ziva administered the medicine to Ava and a short while later she dozed off.

Once Tony had finished in the shower, they packed up everything, strapped a sleeping Ava into her car seat and set off to Wyoming.

They had drove quietly for several hours until Tony had brushed his thumb across Ziva's hand "Hey, you okay?"

Ziva smiled at him "I am fine, just worried about Ava"

Tony locked her hand within his "She'll be fine"

"I know" She sighed "But I cannot help but be concerned"

"That's what's gonna make you a great mom Zi"

Ziva blushed furiously "What do you mean?"

"You'll always care, no matter how small the incident is" He kissed her hand.

They fell into a comfortable silence, their hands still entwined until they heard a muffled sniff from the back of the car. Ziva turned around to see Ava staring out of the window, tears in her eyes.

"Are you okay Ava?" Ziva asked.

She nodded "My tummy's not so sore now. Can I have my colouring book?"

"Of course. Would you like to stop to use the bathroom first?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah please" She responded.

They pulled over at the next rest stop. After using the bathroom Ziva asked Ava if she wanted anything to eat.

"Not really" The little girl replied.

"Not even some crackers?" Ziva held up a box of crackers from a shelf.

"Yeah! Can I have some of those?"

"Of course" Ziva smiled.

She paid for Ava's crackers, then they met Tony back at the car.

"Is the little princess feeling any better?" He asked as he presented her with a colouring book.

"Yeah!" She beamed as she leafed through the book's pages "Thank you for my book"

"Anytime" Tony strapped her back into her car seat.

At seven PM they pulled up at their hotel. They checked in and dragged their possessions from the car. Ava was sleepy and running her eyes as Ziva set her down on the bed.

"Stay awake Ava, you need to eat dinner before bed" Ziva said tenderly as she shook her.

"Can I have some noodles?" Ava asked, sitting up dozily.

"Of course you can" Ziva smiled at her.

"Tony can you order room service please? Ava would like noodles and I want lasagne" Ziva asked Tony who was sat by the phone.

"Sure sweet cheeks" He winked at her and picked up the phone.

Once Tony had ordered he stripped down to his boxers and shirt, while Ziva had changed into his shirt he had leant her. The three of them were sat watching Jurassic park- one of the newly purchased movies from Tony's trip to Wal-Mart, while they were waiting for their food to arrive. Once it had appeared, served by a pimply teenager who had been surprised when a five year old had opened the door, they had eaten hungrily.

After the food had been demolished Ava had cleaned her teeth and then snuggled into bed with her teddy dinosaur and princess. Both Tony and Ziva had tucked her in and each gently kissed her forehead good night.

Once Ava had fell asleep, Tony and Ziva lay in their own bed entwined in each other's arms.

"Tony?" Ziva whispered.

"Yes sweet cheeks?" Tony responded quietly.

"Could you think of a better pet name than that? Sweet cheeks is highly irritating and I am not like that girl anymore" She said softly.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I am not the same girl as I used to be Tony. I am not wild, impulsive or short tempered any more. Since I have had time to consider things when I was… away for a while I have grown up; I think things through and do not threaten people over nothing anymore" She said reflectively.

"I know Zi, and I still think that you are perfect" He kissed the top of her nose "Wait, does that mean I can get a new name too?" He asked eagerly.

"No, you will always be my furry bear" She chuckled and pecked him on the lips.

"I guess I can live with that" He half heartedly grumbled "How about Honey?"

Ziva wrinkled her nose "I am not food Tony"

"Baby cakes?"

"I am not young and still not edible"

"You're younger than me and I'm pretty sure you're delicious" He winked.

Ziva sighed "You are bad at thinking of good names, mon petit pois"

"How about darling?" He suggested.

"It sounds too formal" Ziva chastised lightly.

"Fine then. I'm sorry beautiful, but I've run out of ideas"

"That one is nice" Ziva gave him a small genuine smile.

"You like that one?"

"Yes, who does not like to be called beautiful?"

Tony scoffed "Me! I'm not beautiful I'm fabulous"

Ziva chortled "Only you Tony"

"Well it's sorted then. 'Night beautiful" Tony whispered against her lips.

"Good night my furry bear" Ziva murmured back and kissed him gently.

As her breathing evened out and she started to snore Tony stroked her hair "I love you Ziva. And you will hear me say that one day" He whispered to her sleeping form.

Only after she felt Tony relax and heard his soft snores did she let herself smile.

**I hope you liked this chapter (especially the last bit!) I think this was my favourite chapter to write so far so I would love to hear your thoughts! The fabulous bit I took from my friend Connelly, who claims that he is the most fabulous person to ever walk the planet... I'm pretty sure he's insane!**

**Unicorns are fabulous :D**

**~Lori **


	6. Chapter 6

**Salutations! Thank you all so much yet again for the reviews, despite them dropping slightly for the last chapter. I'm not 100% on this chapter but after re-writing it a few times I can't make it any different :/ But I hope you still enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I have a bag that has 'favourite niece' on it (Thanks auntie Debb!), but NCIS isn't really in that price range :'( **

The next day Ziva woke with a smile on her face. She looked over to Tony, who was still snoring and drooling slightly. She chuckled softly and then shook his shoulder gently and he subconsciously pulled her to his chest and mumbled 'five more minutes babe'.

Ziva allowed him to hold her for a while then she whispered "Tony, Gibbs is behind you"

At lightning speed Tony jumped up and was stood on the bed with the covers thrown to the floor. He yelled "On it boss!" before looking around and realising his surroundings.

Ziva was sat by his feet giggling hysterically. He flopped back down on the bed dramatically "You think that's funny?" He asked, his eyebrow slightly raised.

"Yes" She smirked as he rolled over so they were lay next to each other.

"You gonna say sorry?" He pressed his forehead against hers.

"Maybe" She shot back coyly.

"Well you might want to say sorry"

"Why? What are you going to do?"

"This!" Tony yelled and pressed their lips together.

She giggled as he melded his lips to hers. They continued to kiss languidly and after a while it started to heat up. Ziva moaned loudly and was startled by a hushed giggle. Tony rolled off her and they found Ava watching them, clutching her pink dinosaur.

"Why you tryin' to eat Zi Zi's face off?" Ava asked innocently.

"He was not trying to eat me. He was… kissing my sore lip better" She pointed to her swollen lips "See?"

The confused look in Ava's eyes was lost "Oh, like the time I scraped my knee and mommy kissed it better?"

"Yes, exactly like that" Ziva nodded.

"But why did you moan?" Ava questioned.

"It was very sore" Ziva replied.

Ava turned to Tony and hugged him "You're a good boy. You look after my Zi Zi, but all the other boys are still stupid" She declared.

Tony laughed "Thanks, princess"

"No problem Toejam"

Tony looked taken aback "Who's Toejam?"

"You" She grinned "Everyone else has a special name, so why not you?"

"Whatever you say" He smiled amusedly.

"How are you feeling?" Ziva asked her.

"I feel better now, but still a bit cheesy" She responded.

"How do you feel cheesy?" Ziva asked confused.

"I think she means queasy" Tony corrected and Ava nodded.

"What should we do today then? Idaho is a ten hour drive from here and I do not want her feeling any worse" Ziva asked Tony

"How about we get ready, have some breakfast and go shopping for a bit. Then we'll set off at three so Ava will fall asleep about half way through the journey and we'll still get there on schedule" Tony suggested.

"For once that is a good idea that you have thought of" Ziva laughed at the offended look on Tony's face. She then turned to Ava "Does that sound like a good idea to you?"

"Yep" Ava nodded her head vigorously "That sound fun!"

"Shall we go and get ready then?" Ziva asked Ava and the little girl ran to her pink suitcase to pick some clothing. She pulled out an adorable pink summer dress which had daisies on the skirt "Can I wear this one Zi Zi?"

"Of course you can" Ziva smiled as the girl attempted to dress herself.

After many attempts and little success, Ziva showed the little girl how to get the dress over her head without it getting tangled. Once Ava had been dressed properly- so no heads were where arms were meant to be, Tony had finished in the shower so Ziva hopped in quickly. Less than fifteen minutes later she had dried off and was dressing in a skirt which flowed around her ankles and a simple vest top. It was slightly girlier than some outfits in Ziva's wardrobe but still undeniably her.

Once they were all dressed Tony scooped Ava onto his shoulders and tangled his hand with Ziva's "Let's go then girls!" He said enthusiastically.

They headed over to a café by their hotel to have breakfast and then walked to where there were a cluster of shops. Ava had been sat back on Tony's shoulders as it had been 'too far' to walk. But as soon as they reached a large toy shop Ava scrambled down in awe of the amount of dolls, dresses, teddy bears and princess castle.

"Can we go in there?" She begged "Please?"

"Of course we can princess!" Tony laughed as she ran to the door at breakneck speed.

"Slow down or you will hurt yourself!" Ziva scolded lightly.

Ava completely disregarded Ziva as soon as she opened the door. She kept running from one toy to the other, watching store workers demonstrate toys.

"Where should we start first?" Toy asked her.

"The princesses" She decided firmly.

They ended up spending forty five minutes wandering around because Ava had to see _everything_ that there was before choosing a toy. She ended up picking a Barbie doll which came with several outfits. One they had paid they left with Ava swinging her shopping bag excitedly.

They had been in a few clothes shops, mainly for Tony who had bought several new shirts for work and s pair of jeans.

"You do not need to pay four hundred dollars for a few stupid shirts!" Ziva exclaimed as Tony had handed over his credit card.

"This is Prada babe, this is where you can buy quality" He explained in a slow voice.

"I am not stupid! I know where we are! I have never owned a piece of designer clothing in my life and I look fine" Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Well maybe we should change that then" Tony grabbed her hand and tried to drag her over to the women's section.

"If you want to share the car with Ava and I on the way to her grandmother's and back I suggest you remove your hand" She hissed.

Tony dropped his hand "Sorry, I didn't know how strongly you felt about designer labels"

Ziva sighed "It is okay. It just annoys me when people make so much money off of something that is a quarter of the price in other shops"

"I get what you mean, but I don't think I'll ever stop buying designer clothes" Tony sighed dreamily.

"Wait till you have children" Ziva grumbled.

Tony smiled "D'you wanna go anywhere else?"

"I am okay thank you" Ziva replied.

"Are you sure? Not even Victoria's secret?" Tony grinned cheekily.

"You are a pig Tony. But, I think Ava wanted to go to the candy store" Ziva smiled down at the little girl.

"Yeah! We can get some sweeties to share!" Ava bounced up and down excitedly.

"Uh, Zi? I don't think she needs anymore sugar, she's pretty hyped up as it is"

"It will be fine Tony" Ziva replied confidently.

"Why do you think that?" He asked.

"There is a play park by our hotel" Ziva smirked.

"Ah good idea! As soon as she's riding a sugar high we'll send her off to play" Tony grinned.

"Well she did mention she wanted 'Toejam' to go and play with her…" Ziva winked at him.

"Wait, you can't leave me with her! I can't deal with a sugar overload!" Tony panicked.

"Well, my furry bear if you deal with Ava while she is on a sugar rush, you will get a very special treat when we get home" Ziva said seductively.

"O-o-okay" Tony stuttered.

"Good boy" She purred and slapped him playfully on the cheek.

With the 'discussion' over they walked to a large candy store which was decorated like an old sweet shop. Ava grabbed a paper bag which was decorated with pink and white stripes and started shovelling sweets into it.

"Slow down there sweetie. You do not want to have another belly ache, do you?" Ziva reminded the girl.

"I know Zi Zi, but I know we both like these sweeties!" She pointed to a jar of cubed sour candies.

"Well how about I get a bag too, so then you can have your own favourites" Ziva suggested.

"Okay!" Ava grinned and put a few of her selections back "I'm gonna get _all _of the candy I like" She squealed tipping sweets from glass jars into her bag.

Ziva had picked the few sweets that she liked and now Tony was filling the bag with his own preferred treats.

"Are you sure you have enough?" Ziva teased as she saw the bag over flowing.

"Maybe, I think a few more should do it" He said sprinkling a few chewy cola bottles on top of several sherbet tubes "Done!"

Ziva laughed "You will be fat"

"There's just more of me to love!" Tony exclaimed.

"Whatever you say Tony. Ava, are you finished?" She called over to the five year old.

"Yep!" She replied, popping the 'p'.

As they paid for their sweets the cashier commented on what a lovely family they were. Ziva had blushed and Tony had thanked the woman. Once their sweets had been bagged Tony had grabbed Ziva's hand "You ready beautiful?" Ziva simply replied with a nod, then followed Tony out of the shop with Ava trailing behind her.

They sat on a bright red bench once they had arrived at the park. Ava immediately started to eat her sugary snack while Ziva just looked around at the beautiful flowers and trees which enclosed the park. She was lost in her own world when Tony gently shook her shoulder.

"What?" She asked him.

"I said do you want something before I've eaten them all?" He asked, holding out the now half empty bag.

Ziva selected a few items and balanced them on her lap "Thank you"

Tony kissed her cheek "No problem beautiful" he then turned to Ava "Now, who wants to play?"

Ava jumped from her seat and squealed "I do, I do!"

Ziva chuckled as she watched Tony run after the little girl. She knew why most children loved Tony- he acted like a child most of the time, but that was one of the qualities that she loved about him. He was also funny but sensitive and she could always count on him. He may have a joker façade, but he really had an amazing personality. To her he was the perfect man. Also, he wasn't exactly an eyesore to look at but that was a bonus.

After a while of just sitting, Ziva checked her phone for messages- surprisingly Gibbs hadn't contacted her whatsoever, but then she realised the time "Tony it is nearly four thirty!" She called over to him.

"What?" He said incredulously "Really?"

"Yes, really" She replied "We have to go, we are an hour and a half behind schedule!"

Tony scooped up Ava, to the five year olds protest and they packed the car speedily. After a quick potty break on Ava's behalf, Ziva was behind the wheel with Tony sat in the passenger seat clinging to the emergency handle for dear life while complaining about her driving and Ava was happily colouring in her book, not affected by the 'high speeds and near misses' whatsoever.

After four hours of driving Ava had fallen asleep in her chair, colouring book on the floor and her dinosaur sat on the seat next to her. Tony had stopped complaining about Ziva's motoring skills as she had slowed down somewhat after Ava was heard snoring lightly.

He had taken to staring out of window, thinking about Ziva. He knew that he did that way too much these days, especially after she had pretty much promised him that she was his, but to him she was one of the most perfect things on the planet; non artificial curly brunette hair which loved to stick up- Ziva may hate it continuously, but he loved it. He also loved her lithe body which was perfectly toned- but he didn't just love her for her looks, he loved her personality the most- she was stubborn and independent, so when she asked for help he knew that she really trusted him. She was funny, comforting and always happy. She was always a joy to be around and to him any task he was made to do with her was easier; whether it was married assassins (which was _very_ fun in his opinion) to going through dumpsters (a not so stimulating job) he would enjoy it, because she would either say or do something which was so uniquely her, that he felt like he had fell in love with her all over again.

He snapped out of his reverie when he felt Ziva stroke his arm "Yeah?"

"Would you like a coffee? It will be your turn to drive" Ziva asked him.

"Yeah please, I might make a quick stop at the little boy's room first though" He said while unbuckling his seat belt.

"Fine but you have to get the coffee then"

He looked at her strangely until he realised "Ah. Can't leave Ava asleep and by herself"

"You are finally learning something" Ziva praised.

"Hey, I learn all the time!" He grabbed his chest mock-offended.

"Like what?" She questioned.

"How big of a nerd McGeek gets. Seriously you think that it can't get worse, but it does!"

Ziva slapped the back of his head "Be nice. Not everyone can be a movie buff"

"Fair point" Tony nodded.

Ziva pecked his lips "Go and hurry up with the bathroom break and coffee! I am hoping that we will get there by twelve because of my extra fast driving"

"Fine! I'm goin'!" He swaggered away.

Once he had disappeared from her sight, Ziva rolled her eyes and mumbled "Typical Tony"

But she wouldn't change him for the world.

Ziva had been right about arriving at twelve PM- they'd arrived at five minutes to if you were precise. Tony had carried an unconscious Ava while Ziva had brought the luggage to their room. Ava had been safely tucked up in her tiny bed and was still sleeping. Tony and Ziva were also in their bed, wrapped up in each other's arms. They hadn't bothered with face wash or toothbrushes- they were too tired for that. They were even too tired for words; they had tenderly kissed before closing their eyes and drifting to sleep.

But they didn't need words to communicate- to each other they were open books.

**Thanks for reading! I really appreciate reviews (positive or negative) so let me know what you think.**

**Reading is fun!**

**~Lori **


	7. Chapter 7

**Greetings! Thanks again for the overwhelming response to my story- not long to go now :/ This is my longest chapter to date so I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: A lot of stuff wouldn't have happened if I owned NCIS (But it would probably be a lot more boring if I wrote the scripts haha :D )**

Eight hours after they had arrived in Idaho, Ziva was shaking Ava awake.

"Ava sweetie? It is time to wake up" Ziva said to the grumpy child quietly.

Ava's head disappeared under the covers "But whyyy? I'm sleepy"

Ziva pulled the duvet off of the single bed "If you get up now, you can have a bath with bubbles _and _pancakes for breakfast"

Ava took the incentive "I'm up! I'm up!" she squealed.

"Shhh, Tony is still asleep" Ziva hushed her and pointed to the sleeping man who was sprawled out on the double bed, drool pooling on his pillow.

Ava giggled almost silently "He's funny Zi Zi. Can I keep him?"

Ziva chuckled at Ava's innocence "He is not a pet Ava"

"Yeah, but he looks after you and me really good, so he could look after grandma too, just incase she gets hurt too" Ava reasoned.

Ziva's heart almost broke at Ava's explanation "Do not worry Ava, if you have your aunt if you grandma gets hurt"

"Yeah, but my auntie's strange. She has hair that looks like a bird's nest! Plus what if she don't want me? I'll have to live in a cardboard box!" Ava exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears.

Ziva held Ava's hands "Ava, look at me sweetie" Ava looked into Ziva's warm eyes "You will never have to live by yourself. If you are ever alone, I will always come and get you"

"Really?" Ava asked, sniffing slightly.

"Really" Ziva confirmed.

Ava threw her arms around Ziva "Thank you Zi Zi! I'm gonna miss you"

"I am going to miss you too. But we can still call and write to each other, yes?" Ziva wore a melancholy smile.

"Yeah! I'll have to send you a drawing" Ava grinned.

Ziva felt the tears build up in the back of her eyes "I would like that very much"

Ava looked at Ziva's watery eyes "Are you okay Zi Zi?"

"I am fine sweetie. Now, we should run you a bath" Ziva smiled.

Half an hour later Ziva walked out of the bathroom carrying Ava in a fluffy white towel. Ava was still giggling at the remnants of bubbles which lay on Ziva's head. Ziva helped Ava change and then left her watching the TV while she showered. Once she had finished getting ready for the day she exited the bathroom she felt a pair of arms grab her from behind.

She shrieked loudly and threw her head back at her attacker. The assailant immediately released her arms and she swung around, in a ready to fight stance. But the person who had grabbed her hadn't really been dangerous- it was only Tony.

He grabbed his now bloody nose "Ow Ziva! What the hell?"

Ziva's mouth dropped "I am sorry Tony! I thought you were going to hurt Ava"

"Don't worry momma bear. I was just trying to surprise you, but I don't think I'm ever going to try that ever again" Tony said still clutching his dripping nose.

Ziva grabbed a towel and held it over Tony's nose "I am sorry my little hairy butt" She kissed his cheek "I do not think it is broken though"

Tony chuckled lightly and blood gushed out of his nose at a slightly quicker pace "Never mind sweet cheeks" Tony winked "Does that mean we've gotten our first fight as a couple out of the way? 'Cause I'm all up for the makeup sex that follows"

Ziva shook her head "You are disgusting sometimes Tony" She then leaned in and lowered her voice so the innocent child who was watching cartoons couldn't hear "But I do agree about the makeup sex" She laughed at his baffled expression.

"I think my nose is okay now" He said and pulled the towel off of his face.

A few droplets of blood splashed onto the towel which was held below, but apart from the bleeding had stopped. Ziva prodded his nose which Tony occasionally added an "Ow!" or a "Eeek!" when she hit a particularly sensitive spot.

"It is not broken, just tender" Ziva decided.

"Thanks doctor David, but do you have anything for the pain?" He asked.

"I have some aspirin in my bag" Ziva offered.

"I'll take it" Tony nodded and headed to Ziva's small duffel where he spent more time than necessary looking for the painkillers.

"I really am sorry" Ziva said kissing his lips softly.

"I know" He smiled "Plus you're gonna make it up to me later"

"Am I?" Ziva asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yep. My back could do with a nice deep massage" He grinned.

"I think I can do that" Ziva smiled flirtatiously.

Tony's smile grew wider "Well on that thought I'm off to shower" he called as he disappeared through the door of the en-suite.

Ziva shook her head and then went to sit with Ava.

The little girl smiled as Ziva sat next to her on the couch "Hey Zi Zi! Did you have a nice shower?"

Ziva laughed "It was as good as showers get"

"Why did you hurt Toejam's nose? It was bleeding and everything!" Ava asked, her brown eyes wide.

"Well, Tony scared me so I accidentally hurt him" Ziva responded.

"What does axe-dentally mean?" Ava asked.

Ziva mentally head slapped herself- sometimes she forgot Ava was only five "It means that I did not mean to" she explained.

"Oh! That's okay then" Ava smiled "Wait, did you say sorry?"

"Of course I did!"

Ava climbed onto Ziva's lap and hugged her "See, you're a good friend. You say sorry when you're wrong and give good hugs" Ava declared.

Ziva stroked Ava's soft hair "Why thank you Ava. You are a good friend too"

"I am?" Ava asked, her eyes glittering.

"Yes. You look after all of your friends and are not afraid to tell people when they are wrong" Ziva praised.

"Tony's a good friend too" Ava pointed out.

"Yes, he is" Ziva agreed.

"He lets me eat junk food _and _when you have a sore cheek and lips he kisses them better" Ava said naively.

"Yes he is good at making me feel better" Ziva nodded.

"Is your face still sore then?" Ava asked.

"No, Tony made it feel better. But he might still give me kisses just incase" Ziva lied, taken aback at the little girl's curiosity; Ava nodded in understanding.

"Do you know what the coolest thing about Toejam is?" Ava said grinning wildly.

"What is that?" Ziva questioned.

Ava held her wiggling fingers just above her eyes "His pretty eye thingies!"

Ziva couldn't help but burst out laughing noisily as Ava continued her impression of Tony's 'pretty eye thingies'. Moments later Tony walked out of the bathroom with a white fluffy towel slung low around his hips "What's so funny?" he asked.

"I'm you Tony!" Ava giggled strutting up and down with her fingers still wiggling "I have pretty eyes like a girl!"

Tony couldn't help but laugh at the little girl. He knew that should somewhat offend him, but he couldn't help finding the adorable girl funny. Plus he didn't want to admit it, but he did see some proof in the impression. But he knew she would have to pay.

"Right, c'mere you!" He scooped her up and began tickling her ferociously.

Ava squealed loudly and tried to squirm away from him to no avail. He tickled her mercilessly until Ava's foot accidentally hit him in a more sensitive area. He immediately dropped her on the couch and grabbed his lower extremities.

He felt Ziva's hand rub his shoulder "Are you okay?" She asked sympathetically.

"Yeah, the DiNozzo jewels will be fine" Tony said breathlessly.

"Do you want to go to get changed and I will calm Ava down?" She asked him.

"Yes please" He squeaked. He then grabbed his clothes and hobbled to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later Tony was changed and Ava had calmed down they were all sat on the couch together. Ava sat cuddled into Ziva's chest while Tony sat with his arm draped over Ziva. They all sat there, just enjoying the moment because they knew that there was only one more journey for the trio- Ava's grandmother's house. They knew that they would have to say goodbye, but they didn't realise how attached they would be and how quickly the week would pass.

"Should we pack our things then?" Ziva said softly.

Ava nodded and started to 'pack' her clothes into her little suitcase. Ziva followed her over as she knew that Ava would need a bit of help folding. Once they had successfully packed her possessions away, Ziva haphazardly stuffed her pyjamas (Tony's shirt) in her duffel bag. Tony hadn't unpacked anything, so they were ready to set off.

"Are you ready?" Ziva asked Ava.

Ava shook her head "I wanna stay with you!"

"But it will be nice to see your grandmother, no?"

"Yeah, but I wanna live with you!" Ava argued.

"How about I make you a deal? I will come to visit at least once a year and when you get a bit older you can come and stay at mine when it is the summer?" Ziva offered.

Ava smiled slightly "I like that deal"

"Shall we shake on it then?" Ziva asked sticking her hand out.

"Yeah" Ava shook Ziva's hand.

"Now, let us go little one. We have a special grandmother to see" Ziva smiled as she saw Ava run to the car.

"Is she okay?" Tony asked her.

"She is fine now I promised that I would visit" Ziva sighed.

"I think I'll tag along too" Tony told her.

"Really? I am sure Ava would be excited" Ziva smiled.

"I'm sure she will be. But we have one full day left with her and we're staying at her grandmother's house tonight, so it's not like we're just taking off"

"That is true" Ziva agreed.

Tony kissed her cheek "C'mon, let's go. You can even drive first" Tony dangled the keys in front of her.

Ziva snatched them while laughing at Tony's horrified face "I will not go too fast. I promise"

Seven and a half hours later the three of them pulled up to a sweet looking cottage. Just as Ziva was unbuckling Ava, a small plump lady appeared at the door.

As soon as Ziva helped her out of the car she ran towards the woman "Grandma!"

"Ava darling! I haven't seen you for a long time" The white haired lady cooed and hugged her granddaughter close.

Tony and Ziva stood there watching the exchange. Ava's grandmother realised they were waiting for something to do. "I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Dorothy Adams, but you can call me Dot" The elderly lady said.

"Ziva David" Ziva smiled and shook Dot's hand.

"Tony DiNozzo" Tony waved awkwardly at her.

"Well then, we best get inside as it will be cold out soon!" Dot exclaimed and ushered everyone inside.

Tony and Ziva were shown to the guest bedroom for the night. They noticed that there was just a double bed in the room. Dot had just smiled at them in a knowing way "Just let me know if you need an air mattress" and left them to it.

They dumped their luggage at the by the bottom if the bed and then flopped down onto the soft mattress. They lay there in a comfortable silence until Ava burst in, chattering excitedly.

"Grandma got my letter on how I wanted my new room and it looks perfect!" Ava grinned.

"Can I see it?" Ziva asked and Ava happily dragged her to her new room.

Ava's room was the next door down from Tony and Ziva's room. Ava opened the door and grinned proudly at her new place to stay. It had pink walls and a cream carpet. All of Ava's toys had already been shipped there so they lay neatly in a set of plastic draws which had a label on stating what should be in the specific draw. She had a single canopy bed which was pink and had sparkly netting hung from the top of the rails. There was a pink rug in the shape of a heart and a bedside table which had been decorated with crown stickers. To finish the room off, there was a picture of Ava dressed as a princess and standing with her mother. It looked fairly recent, possibly the last photograph of mother and child. Stood next to it was a picture of a man dressed in camouflage, holding a baby. He had a proud look on his face and was smiling at the brown eyed child which had a tuft of brown hair.

"That's my daddy and me" Ava pointed at the picture.

"He looks like a brave man" Ziva commented.

"He was" Ava smiled "Mommy told me that he died saving lots of people, so he could be a prince!"

"How is that?" Ziva asked, smiling gently.

"Well a prince saves people, duh" Ava explained.

"I guess he was then" Ziva smiled, yet again at the little girl's ideas.

"Ava, Tony, Ziva! Time for dinner!" Dot yelled.

"Yaay dinner! I'm starving!" Ava grinned and raced out of the room.

Ziva laughed at Ava's reaction and then followed her down the stairs. As they reached the dining room they discovered that Tony was already there wolfing down his portion of food. Ziva and Ava took a seat and Dot brought through their food- chicken nuggets with chips for Ava and macaroni cheese for Ziva.

"Sorry it isn't a fancy meal, but it was late and I was tired" Dot said apologetically as she placed Ziva's plate on the table.

"I do not mind, I love macaroni cheese" Ziva smiled at her.

They ate in silence, apart from the occasional gulp that was heard when Ava took a sip of water. Once they had finished Ava ran upstairs to put her pyjamas on; it was late and she was tired. Ziva collected the empty plates and walked into the kitchen where Dot was wiping down the work surfaces. Ziva place the plates in the sink and began to wash them.

"You can leave those dearie, I'll be fine" Dot smiled at her.

"It is fine. You could maybe go and help Ava het ready for bed?" Ziva suggested.

Dot's smile widened "I'd like that" and she set off to go and assist Ava.

Tony entered the kitchen to see Ziva washing the dishes. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, his hand resting on her tummy "Hey" he said quietly.

"Hello" Ziva replied equally quiet.

"How you doin'?" Tony asked.

"I am okay" Ziva sighed slightly "I know I will miss Ava though"

"Remember what you said? You can call or write to her anytime and we're coming to visit" Tony reminded her, nuzzling his nose into her neck.

"You are right" Ziva turned around after drying her hands on a towel "I am being silly"

"You're not being silly, you're being a mom" Tony said looking into her eyes.

"Do you think so?" Ziva asked him, her eyes locked with his.

"Yeah" Tony grinned "A damn good one at that"

Ziva smiled at him "Thank you Tony. You always know what to say"

Tony kissed her lightly "It's fine Zi. Remember, you'll always have me to talk to"

Ziva's eyes teared up slightly "I know"

"I can't wait till we have our own little DiNozzo's runnin' around" Tony whispered to her, his eyes alight with excitement.

"Me too" Ziva replied back with a small smile.

Dot reappeared and they broke away from each other "Don't mind me dearies, I've seen it all before" she winked at them.

Ziva blushed "If you do not mind I think I will head to bed" Ziva turned to walk out of the room.

"Wait! Could I ask you a few questions first?" Dot asked.

"Of course" Ziva smiled at the old woman.

"I'll leave you two ladies to it then" Tony smiled and headed upstairs.

"What would you like to know?" Ziva enquired.

"Did you catch the man who killed my Amelia?" Dot said fiercely.

"Yes we did" Ziva confirmed.

"Who was it?"

"Her boyfriend, Benjamin Walters" Ziva replied.

"Was he hurt?" Dot asked interestedly.

"He received a black eye and a gunshot wound to the leg from me" Ziva smiled.

Dot grinned back at her "Thank you"

"It is fine" Ziva said modestly.

"How's Ava been since it… happened?"

"She was quiet at first. But after a few days she began to liven up and after the few weeks she stayed with me, she was just like a normal five year old girl"

"She stayed with you?" Dot asked surprised.

"Yes" Ziva nodded.

Dot surprised Ziva with a hug "Thank you. Thank you for everything you have done for Ava, for me… for Amelia"

"It was a pleasure" Ziva smiled.

"I don't think I could ever repay you for what you have done!" Dot exclaimed, still hugging Ziva.

"If you would not mind, I would like to stay in contact with Ava and maybe visit some time?" Ziva queried.

"That would be fine!" Dot beamed "I assume that handsome man will be coming too?"

Ziva blushed again "Yes, he would also love to see Ava again"

"It's lovely that you still want to see Ava"

"Why would I not want to?" Ziva asked, confused.

"Most people would have just drove here without a care for the child they were transporting. You broke the journey up, looked after her and are still willing to have contact her. That shows me that there are really some truly lovely people in the world. You would make a great mother" The old woman complimented.

"Thank you Dot. I am glad she will be staying here, as I know she will be well looked after"

"I'm glad she's here too. I haven't seen her since she was a baby" Dot's eyes filled up with tears "She looks just like Amelia did when she was little"

"I am sure your daughter was a wonderful person" Ziva said, a little awkwardly.

"Oh, she was" Dot smiled "Now, you get to bed my dear and back to that hunky man" Ziva opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off "I mean it. Don't worry about me, I'll be up soon"

Ziva nodded, bid her a good night and climbed the stairs to get to her room. She almost silently got ready for bed so she didn't wake Tony and then slid into bed beside him. He immediately rolled over to her and pulled her small body into his embrace.

"What'd she want to know?" Tony asked.

Ziva jumped "I thought you were asleep!"

"I waited for you" He replied, his warm breath tickling her neck.

"That was very sweet" She smiled at him and pecked his lips.

"Now back to the first question: what'd she want to know?"

"Just about her daughter's killer and how Ava's… mental stability was" Ziva told him.

"She really cares for her" Tony noted.

"Yes, she does" She replied.

It went quiet for a moment until Tony said "But not as much as I care about you"

Ziva smiled and punched his chest lightly "You are just a ball of mush"

"Only for you beautiful" He kissed her cheek. He felt her yawn against his chest "We better get some sleep"

Ziva nodded in agreement "Goodnight Mr mush ball"

"Goodnight Miss irresistible" He said playfully.

When Ziva felt Tony's breathing evened out she whispered to him "I love you, my furry bear. And you will hear me say it one day" She stroked his cheek gently before letting herself drift into a world of unconsciousness and snores rack her body.

Once Tony heard Ziva's chain saw like snores fill the room, he grinned stupidly and then let himself fall into a deep Ziva filled slumber.

**So? More Tivalishious action there! I should have story done soon so please review to keep me writing as fast as I can! There might be a slight wait on the next chapter as I'm going to try and make it the longest in the story, but it should only be delayed for a day or two :)**

**Do you reckon I could get out of school by saying I had Tiva-fever so I could write some more?**

**~Lori**


	8. Chapter 8

**Guten tag! I have been astounded by your reviews yet again :O I can't believe how much of a response this story has gotten!Thank you to everyone who reviewed, especially everyone who has reviewed every chapter! It's amazing how my spirits are lifted when I get a lovely review :D ********I know it's a push but could we maybe make it to 100 reviews? :) **I managed to get all of this typed up (I'm not quite sure how, but I think it was the reviews ;) ) I have another story which I'm working on planning, but the first chapter for that probably won't be up till next week as I have 5 exams this week :/ It's going to be called escape if anyone's interested! Now, **I hope everyone enjoys the last chapter of Road trip!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned NCIS this would have already happened -_-**

Tony and Ziva woke to a tentative knock to their door. After a few minutes the door creaked open and Dot poked her head around "Tony? Ziva? Time to wake up, I've made breakfast"

Tony groaned and Ziva poked her head up "Thank you Dot. We will be down soon" She smiled.

"Okay then, but don't take too long! The eggs will get cold" Dot shut the door and her footsteps could be heard walking down the stairs.

"Morning beautiful" Tony propped his head up on his elbow and looked down at her.

"Good morning my furry bear" Ziva greeted and Tony leant down to meet her lips with his.

"Are you okay this morning?" Tony asked.

Ziva let out a loud sigh "I will be, but I will feel guilty leaving Ava here"

"Why's that? Her grandma clearly cares for her and her cooking's not half bad"

"It is just because I cared for her for so long, but I will get used to not having a child in my apartment" Ziva smiled slightly but sorrowfully.

"Well I hope you don't get too used to it" Tony said, dropping a kiss on her shoulder "Because I want a little DiNozzo soon" He grinned.

"A bit anxious there Tony?" Ziva said wide eyed "And what do you mean by soon?"

"Within the year" Tony said determinedly.

"Why is that?" Ziva asked.

"Well Zi, I'm not getting any younger and I certainly don't want to be one of them old dads who are too tired or too busy to play" He sighed "Do you think I'm old Zi?"

"Of course not!" She said stroking his cheek "I would not have you any other way" Her eyes lit up mischievously "Besides, I find certain older men… attractive yes?"

Tony smirked "Well then sweet cheeks, am I in that category?"

"Maybe" She laughed "But George Clooney is much more handsome"

"You're killin' me here sweet cheeks!" Tony laughed slightly.

"I know" She beamed "But let us go for breakfast and stop busting each other's halls"

Tony rolled his eyes "Remind me to buy you a guide to idioms"

"It is bust each other's balls, no?" Ziva said slyly.

"Wait? Did you fake that?" Tony asked and Ziva replied with a nod "Does that mean you've been faking all those other times?"

"A woman never reveals her secrets" She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously "Now we should go and eat. I do not want cold eggs"

After eating breakfast; which consisted of scrambled eggs, toast and on Tony's behalf- a giant stack of bacon. Ava had eaten happily chatting about her dreams from the night before in her new special princess bed. Once she had gobbled up her scrambled eggs ungracefully she had hopped down from her chair and clambered up onto Ziva's lap.

"How can I help you sweetie?" Ziva asked the little girl who had wrapped her small arms around Ziva's neck.

"Can we play in the garden? Granma said that there's a swing, a slide _and_ more!" Ava squealed excitedly.

"Once I have finished eating and we are both dressed" Ziva smiled at Ava, who was now bouncing up and down eagerly.

"Yaay!" Ava climbed down "I'm gonna go get dressed all by myself now!" and she ran up the stairs, her feet thudding on the wood.

"It looks like I have something to do rather than packing this morning" Ziva smiled.

"Sorry about that" Dot apologised "She is quite rambunctious "

"It is fine. I will not see her for a while so I best make the most of it" She smiled slightly gloomily.

"I'll do your packing for you Zi" Tony offered. He knew that he was going to miss the energetic five year old, but Ziva was more attached due to more time being spent with the small girl.

Ziva smiled softly at Tony and kissed his cheek "Thank you Tony"

"You know I'd do anything for you" He said genuinely.

Ziva stroked his cheek adoringly but before anything else could happen Ava thundered down the stairs and tugged on Ziva's arm "C'mon Zi Zi! Go get dressed, I wanna go play!"

Ziva rose from the table "Okay then, let me get ready then we can go" Ziva beamed down at the little girl and allowed her to pull her up the stairs by her hand.

"See ya later Zi!" Tony called to the two females who were quickly disappearing up to the second floor.

Ava bounced up and down on the bed nagging her to hurry up. Once she had showered, changed and put Ava's jeans on the correct way round they had made their way into the garden- it was even nicer than Ava had described.

It had a large oak tree held a tree house and many multi-coloured flowers outlined the garden in neat beds. The grass itself was a healthy shade of green, which had a long thin slide, a sturdy looking swing and a large trampoline. Ava grinned and ran around the garden wildly.

"What are you doing?" Ziva asked incredulously.

"I'm deciding which one to go on first" Ava replied.

"Have you picked yet?"

"Yeah the trampoline!" Ava grabbed Ziva's hand "C'mon Zi Zi let's go!"

Tony watched from the kitchen as Ziva and Ava bounced on the trampoline. He laughed as Ziva's face dropped when she thought Ava had fell, and then her face light up in relief as she sprung back up again.

"Pretty cute huh?" Dot said from behind him.

"Oh! Yeah Ava is, isn't she?" Tony spun round, startled by the small elderly woman.

"Yes Ava is, but I don't think that she was the one you were staring at" Dot responded with a glint in her eye.

Tony held his hands up "Okay, I admit that Zi's pretty cute too" Tony admitted.

"Pretty cute?" Dot questioned.

"Well she'd kill me if I said she was cute" Tony laughed "But I do know that she's the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on"

"Well aren't you the romantic" Dot smiled "Ziva's a lucky girl"

"I'm a lucky guy" Tony grinned "Ziva's just perfect. And soon we're gonna have perfect little children"

"Oh, is she pregnant?" Dot asked.

"No, but she will be soon" Tony smiled widely.

"I guess you really want kids then?"

"Yeah, but only if they're mine and Ziva's" Tony said firmly.

"Why's that?" Dot queried.

"Well I could only imagine me and Ziva having kids. They wouldn't be perfect if they weren't ours. Also it would prove that I could commit to someone, that I'm not a playboy anymore"

"Is that all? I wouldn't have a child just to prove something" Dot advised.

"It's not just that. I've always wanted to play football and chase my little boy, or watch my daughter dance. I've always wanted to have something that nobody can take away from me. And even if Zi and I split up, I'll always be tied to her- we'll always have our kids. But I think one of the main reasons is that I don't want to be an old dad- Ziva's a fair bit younger than me so she doesn't really understand that I actually want to do stuff with my family and not be impeded by a bad back or a sore knee. I'm not gonna just let my kids play by themselves, I'm not gonna be like my father" Tony explained.

Dot dabbed her eyes with an old fashioned cotton hankie "That… that was beautiful my dear. You must really love her"

"Yeah I do" Tony grinned.

"You remind me a lot of my Harold. We were very similar to you two. We were together until the day he died three years ago" Dot smiled nostalgically.

"I'm sorry" Tony apologised.

"It's fine dear. He was in a lot of pain; he had bone cancer, but I am glad that he got to meet his granddaughter before he passed away" She smiled sweetly at Tony "Now you should go and pack mister! You don't want to anger that pretty little thing out there do you?"

Tony chuckled "I guess not" He went to exit the room "Hey, Dot?"

"Yes dear?" She replied.

"Thanks. Talking really does help"

"No problem dear, that's what I'm here for" She made a shooing motion with her hands.

"Okay, okay! I'm goin'" Then Tony's feet were heard thudding up the stairs.

Tony reached the bedroom he had been staying in and then pulled out his suitcase. He noticed how haphazardly his clothes had been flung in over the past few weeks. He decided that he had plenty time and spent a while repacking his case neatly; clean clothes on one side, dirty clothes on the other. He then unzipped Ziva's duffel bag and tipped everything out. Several outfits, toiletries and to Tony's delight- underwear fell out of the bag. He separated the clothes the best he could; clothes he thought Ziva had worn and clothes he hadn't seen her wearing. He then applied the same strategy that he had used to pack his own suitcase. Once he had finished he took their luggage to the car.

After loading the car Tony decided that he would go and join in with the fun in the garden. He exited the back door, only to be barrelled into by Ava.

"Toejam run! Ziva's it!" Ava yelled and ran in the opposite direction again.

Tony looked up to see Ziva stood right next to him. She tapped his arm lightly "Tag. You are it" She grinned and jogged off.

Tony shook his head and smiled. He would have never pictured Ziva ever wanting to join in a game of tag willingly, but there was a first time for everything.

"I'm gonna get you!" He yelled at Ava and jogged at a deliberately slow pace so it gave Ava a chance to scurry off.

After five minutes he sped up so he finally tagged Ava and he grinned triumphantly "Got you!"

"It took you long enough!" Ava stuck out her tongue at him.

They continued to play for another half an hour until the three of them sat on a pretty wooden bench which had hearts carved into it.

"I am exhausted" Ziva said, panting slightly.

"I know! Ava sure is a fast runner" Tony said grinning at Ava.

"I'm the best runner ever!" Ava declared happily.

"I am sure you are" Ziva agreed.

Tony looked at his watch and noticed how late it was getting "Zi it's nearly three, we'll have to set off soon"

Ziva sighed again "I know, but maybe just one more drink?"

He pecked her lips "Sure. Anything for you"

Ziva's face lit up "Thank you. Now do you want coffee or juice?"

After taking Ava and Tony's drink orders she made her way to the kitchen so she could make the juice, coffee and tea, she noticed Dot was sat watching an old black and white film in the living room "Dot would you like some tea?" she called.

"That would be lovely dear" Dot yelled back.

After making the drinks and delivering Dot's cup of tea to her, she somehow carried the remaining three drinks out into the garden. They sat on the grass idly sipping their drinks and cloud watching.

"That one looks like a lion" Ava pointed up at a vaguely lion shaped cloud.

"I think that one looks like a tree" Ziva gestured to a tree shaped cloud.

"I think this one looks like a cloud!" Tony said and held his hand up to a normal looking cloud.

"Silly Tony!" Ava said to Ziva and then turned to Tony "Now, you need to find a cloud that looks like something!" She explained carefully.

Tony nodded "Okay then Miss smarty pants. I think my cloud looks like a sheep. Does that pass your standards?"

Ava examined the cloud carefully "Yes, this cloud does look like a sheep. Well done Toejam!"

They stared at the clouds for ten more minutes before finishing off their drinks. Ziva took the empty cups through and washed them out. She was met by Tony and Ava sat in the dining room, Ava's eyes watering slightly.

"The car's packed Zi" Tony said awkwardly.

Ziva nodded from where she was stood and then approached Ava.

"You have to go now Zi Zi" Ava stated sadly.

"Yes, I do" Ziva replied.

"Can't you stay for a bit more? Pleease?" The little girl begged.

Ziva looked at the little girl's wide eyes "I am sorry but I cannot"

"Please Zi Zi! Just a tiny weeny bit more! Then we could play another game of tag"

"I really cannot Ava. We need to be back in DC in three days so we have to set off today" Ziva explained, her hands fidgeting with one another nervously.

Tears spilled over "But it taked us longer than that to get here!"

"Yes, but we are going to drive for much longer before stopping" Ziva explained.

"But… but…" Ava's lip quivered before she started to howl.

Ziva picked the little girl up and hugged her "It will be okay sweetie. You will forget about me when you are playing with your grandmother"

"But I want you Zi Zi! I don't want granma" She sniffed.

"Remember what I said Ava; you are going to see me again. I am never going to leave you alone" She smiled softly at the child.

"You're the best Zi Zi" Ava stated "When can we talk?"

"I will call you tomorrow so we can chat and I can send you a pretty post card from DC. And remember that I will be able to come and visit"

She nodded into Ziva's chest "Come visit soon?"

"It might be a while, but I promise I will visit"

"I'm gonna miss you Zi Zi!" Ava sniffed.

Ziva found a tissue and dabbed Ava's eyes "I will miss you too sweetie" She smiled at the little girl "But do not be sad. This is not good bye forever"

"I guess" She stopped sniffing and blew her nose.

Ava scrambled down and then threw her arms around Tony's waist "I'm gonna miss you too Toejam, even though you're a boy"

Tony chuckled "I'm gonna miss you too princess"

"If I ever need some sweeties can I call you?" She asked eagerly.

"Of course you can" Tony smiled down at her, before hoisting her up onto his hip "You can call me if you need anything"

"I think you're my favourite boy ever! But the rest still smell" She loudly whispered to him, letting him in on the conspiracy.

He chuckled "I think I'll have to agree with that"

She gently stroked his eyelashes "But I think that's because you're really part girl"

"How am I part girl?" He asked, outraged.

"Well, you're really good at walking like a model and your eye thingies are really pretty. Plus if you tried on one of Zi Zi's princess dresses I think you'd look really nice" She smiled.

He turned to Ziva with raised eyebrows "Princess dresses?"

"She means my ball gowns. We played dress up one night" Ziva shrugged.

"Well, I think both of you would make lovely princesses" Tony replied earnestly.

Ziva smiled slightly and pecked his cheek "Well I am sure you would make a lovely princess too Tony. Ava is normally right about these things"

"Hey! I'm meant to be the prince! I'm meant to save the day" Tony huffed overdramatically.

"Why would you need to help? Zi Zi's really good at catching the bad guys!" Ava grinned.

Tony lowered Ava to the ground "Thanks a lot guys"

"Awww is my little furry bear sensitive? Do not worry, I will let you ride with me on my white horse" Ziva laughed as Tony's face fell.

Dot joined them in the dining room "Is everything okay?" She asked when she saw Tony's lips formed in a pout and Ava's red eyes which were the remnants of their goodbyes.

"Everything's fine. We've just finished saying our goodbyes" Tony replied.

"Ah, right. Are you two going to set off soon then?" Dot inquired.

"Yep. Quick bathroom break and we'll be off" Tony said and he set off to find the little boy's room.

After both using the toilet and the pair quickly swept their bedroom for the night to check that they had not forgotten a tooth brush or an odd sock. After making sure that absolutely everything was where it should be they returned to the ground floor.

"Have you got our phone numbers?" Ziva checked with Dot for the twentieth time that day.

"Yes dear, I have them written in my phone book, on a post it note, on a sheet of paper and I have entered them in my phone. I am sure that I definitely have your phone numbers!" Dot smiled at the young woman who looked frantic.

"That is good then" She smiled "You shall never lose it"

"I definitely won't. Now you might have to get in the car to actually drive back" Dot pointed out.

"Right. Well, thank you for making us dinner and breakfast and thank you for letting us stay the night" Ziva smiled and hugged the old woman.

"I wasn't a problem dear, especially everything you've done for me" The elderly lady's eyes sparkled "Now, be safe"

"I will" Ziva then turned to Ava.

"I will see you soon Miss Ava" She smiled and gave her a hug.

"Yep! And I won't be sad 'coz I can call you!" Ava kissed her cheek "I love you Zi Zi"

Ziva's eyes filled up with tears "I love you too Ava. Now, you be good for your grandmother"

"I promise I will be" She smiled and then sat in the passenger side of the car.

"Later kiddo" Tony high fived Ava.

"Bye Toejam" Ava smiled "I'll call you too, don't worry"

"Good to know" Tony grinned "I'll be expecting my phone to ring"

"Love you" She said innocently, staring into his eyes.

"Love you too princess" He smiled and gave her a quick hug "Thanks for everything Dot" Tony grinned at her.

"No problem" She beamed at him, she then lowered her voice "If you and that lovely woman don't work out, just give me a call" She winked and kissed him on cheek.

Tony blushed slightly "Will do Dot" He laughed awkwardly and then joined Ziva in the car.

Ava waved enthusiastically as they drove away. Ziva waved back until they were completely out of sight. She then tangled her hand with Tony's. He looked over at her to see if she was okay and noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh Zi" He murmured as she swiped at the tears which stained her face.

"I am sorry" She apologised "I did not want to make a scene"

"It's fine Zi" He reassured her "I'm gonna miss the little squirt too. I wasn't too keen on her at first, but she grew on me"

"I noticed" Ziva chuckled.

"What do you mean by that?" Tony questioned.

"Well you gave into almost every single thing she asked you for. All she had to do was bat her eyelashes and widen her eyes slightly and you were modelling clay in her hands"

"It's putty Zi" Tony corrected "And so what if I did? I like to see her smile, especially after all she's been through"

"I know, but do not be like that with our children Tony!" She tried to warn, but couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

"You know that I'm going to be the pushover, right? I'm like that with you too" He pointed out.

Ziva laughed and kissed his cheek "Thank you Tony"

"For what? He asked, confused"

"For being you"

_Two and a half days later_

Tony lugged both his and Ziva's belongings into Ziva's apartment. He collapsed onto her couch tiredly and she settled against him. They had been driving for sixteen hours each day to get back to DC as soon as they could. It ended up with them being completely exhausted and having a slightly crabby attitude towards each other. But they had agreed that they were going to stay at Ziva's apartment that night; she was out of clothes and he had at least half a suitcase worth of clothes left over which he hadn't even looked at while on their trip. Ziva had spoken to Ava twice since she had left and Tony had spoken to her once- she was having a great time living with her grandmother and was excited to start 'big girl' school soon.

"I am too tired for a movie tonight, is it okay if we just go to bed tonight?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah that's fine Zi" He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

They got ready for bed- Tony in just his boxers and Ziva in Tony's shirt. There was nothing sexual about their night as they were still worn out from their speedy return to Washington. They snuggled up in bed together as usual with Ziva resting her head on Tony's chest after a quick kiss had been stolen.

"Ziva?" Tony asked tentatively.

"Yes Tony?" She responded.

"I love you"

Ziva gasped slightly in delight and kissed him tenderly on the lips. Everything went uncomfortably silent for a while till Ziva broke it "I love you too Tony"

He leaned over and kissed her forehead "So… what now?" Tony asked.

"We sleep. For now" She kissed his cheek and they mumbled a good night to each other.

They lay in silence, just holding each other after their declarations. It was perfect; well it was perfect for them and all they had been through. They fell asleep holding each other while they both (despite them both fervently denying it) deafeningly snored, not affecting each other's slumber whatsoever, but next door spent all night wondering what was happening next door, as it sounded like two malfunctioning chain saws.

They now stood in the metal elevator of NCIS anxiously awaiting the reunion of their team. Ziva flicked the elevator switch. Tony saw the panicked look in her eyes and grabbed her hands and ran soothing patterns over the top of her thumbs.

"What's wrong Ziva?" He asked gently.

"What do we tell Gibbs?" Ziva asked him nervously, her eyes darting around the suspended silver box.

"Look at me" Tony said firmly and she met her eyes with his "I'm not sure how we're going to tell him, but we're going to do this together" He assured her.

She relaxed slightly and flicked the emergency stop again and the elevator shuddered to life again. He held her hand in his and she smiled widely.

She didn't know what was going to happen and she had no idea how Gibbs was going to react to them being in a relationship, but as they stood there with their hands intertwined she knew one thing- they would do it together.

**Well that's it everyone! I thought that would be the perfect place to end it, as it's a story about them getting together (Finally) and not Gibbs shouting at them for breaking the rules. I hope that everyone enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it and it would be great if you could leave a review to let me know what you thought!**

**Thanks for reading, I appreciate it!**

**~Lori**


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